Love-A-Thon (3)

February 20, 2016 by Alyssa

loveathon

Hey there lovelies!! I am sure most of you know that the lovely Alexa over at Alexa Loves Books is hosting her annual Love-A-Thon, it is just another way that some of us are trying to focus on the cheer and positive aspects of our book blogging community. I will have a few posts on the blog throughout the weekend, and will be participating as much as I can on Twitter using the hashtag #LoveAThon so make sure to stay tuned! Happy reading, friends!!

What’s your name?

Alyssa, but honestly so few people call me that as I have so many nicknames from my loved ones. I go by “A” in the blogging world mostly.

Where in the world are you blogging from?

New England – I WAS PROMISED SNOW, WHERE IS IT?!

How did you get into blogging in the first place?

I was actually in graduate school for my MLIS a few years back and we had to observe different resources for reader’s advisory, one of which being blogs. I had been following a few (The Book Smugglers, and Broke & the Bookish being two!) and I thought about how fun it would be so I started one, and convinced my friend Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks that it was a good idea that she start one as well!

How did you come up with your blog name?

I wanted something that was meaningful to me, that spoke of my feelings regarding books and how important they are. I have always felt that books took me away from the drama of the real world and you can become immersed in the fictional world for a little while and forget whatever it is that needs forgetting. Thus Books Take You Places was born.

What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?

I read a lot of fantasy, it makes me the happiest!

What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?

Hmm I have been known to write some Disney posts ranking the swooniest male leads and villains. I also write some “non-traditional” reviews for my On the Same Page feature that I do with Amy (Tripping Over Books) and Brittany (The Book Addict’s Guide)!

Best blogging experience so far?

Hands down, the best blogging experience has been meeting my best friends. I like to call Amy and Brittany my “better thirds” because they make me a better person overall. I often think about how lucky I am to have found soul friends through the power of THE INTERNET 😀 Honestly, I couldn’t make it through a day without these two. With these two, I have created The Secret Sister Project which does its own to foster positivity in the community, that is probably the blogging experience of which I am most proud.

Favorite thing about the blogging community?

THE community is my favorite thing about the community!! Though we have those negative moments, for the most part everyone works hard to promote positivity and importantly, LITERACY. As a librarian I am a huge advocate for ALL THE READING!! It honestly brings me glee that I can hop on an app on my phone, send out a message or inquiry or even sad thought and have so many people reply back with an array of assistance.

Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016!

-THE ROSE AND THE DAGGER by Renee Ahdieh (GIVE. IT. TO. ME. NOW.)

– The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch (please please be this year)

– Yesternight by Cat Winters

– Heartless by Marissa Meyer

– The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (because now I can start and binge the whole series YAY)

Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in previous years!

Hmm this is harder…

I am going to binge read the entire Raven Boys series

….and The Mara Dyer series

I have to finish Winter…oops.

Six of Crows is still waiting for me

…and I still never started Shadow Scale

What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

The Caged Graves by Dianne Salerni. I loved it so much. It encompasses so many wonderful elements. If you’re looking for an immensely atmospheric, mysterious, and romantic read, I highly recommend that you pick this one up immediately.

Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF?

Sybella from Dark Triumph, I think. Though we are so very alike so I may need to choose Ismae instead so she can even me out a bit…

Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend?

AHHHHH….Bran from Son of the Shadows, I think…though I think Red is probably better for me as he is more patient than Bran and I am in need of a life partner with patience 😉

Who would you recruit for your apocalypse squad (5 characters max)

Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor for ALL THE REASONS

Agnieszka from Uprooted by Naomi Novik because duh, magic

Door from Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman because duh, she can make doors and we might need them on the other side

Snow White from Fables by Bill Willingham because she is a fighter and basically never loses

Liadan from Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier because she is a skilled healer

Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

Hmm I binge watch a lot of shows (currently the last two seasons of Downton Abbey), I spend hours and days playing video games, and then don’t play again for ages (currently The Witcher), I do puzzles and just started loom knitting like a proper old lady. When it’s warm, I hike and Letterbox and sometimes Geocache…but for the most part, I read.

Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?

Hmm…makeup, I suppose. I don’t really shop for myself, though I spend a lot of time buying fun presents for other people!

At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing?

Oh lawd…I don’t know! This depends on who I am with, you know? Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” is a song that I will sing no matter where I am when it comes on, can we count that?

Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.

I think….The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Of course, this is only if it can be made PHENOMENAL. Like, Harry Potter adaptation phenomenal.

What would your dream library look like?

Actually it would look like my personal library…I work very hard to make it the coziest place ever!

Author you want to meet and sit down to tea with?

Definitely Neil Gaiman! This is the obvious choice, right? It isn’t just because of my obvious obsession with his works, I think that he is incredibly brilliant. I would love to talk to him about all things in life, and I think we would have enlightening conversations! After I got over my definite nervousness, of course!

Blogger Love-a-Thon Mini Challenge (5)

February 23, 2013 by Alyssa

Welcome to Blogger Love-a-Thon! This is a 24 hour event that helps us bloggers take some time to show love to one another! If you are so inclined, head on over to the Announcement Post! This event is hosted by Alexa from Alexa Loves Books and Katelyn from Kate’s Tales of Books & Bands! This Mini Challenge is to showcase my top blogging moments! The whole experience has been an amazing ride so I am going to keep this short:

Book Expo America – I had the best time. I met some superstar bloggers who I had been following for years prior to starting my own blog, some AMAZING authors and picked up some amazing debuts that became some of my favorite reads of all time!

The community – As I have mentioned a few times today, the blogging community is amazing. They are always there to open you with welcome arms and I am lucky enough to have found some of my best friends through blogging!

New genres – I used to read a lot of adult fantasy and some young adult novels, very rarely did I read middle grade novels and never horror or contemporary. I am so glad to say that I have found a new love in these different genres – specifically middle grade – and I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to blog over on Bookalicious about my favorite MG reads starting very soon!

The authors – Nothing compares to that feeling when an author replies to a tweet or sends humble thanks or kind words in answer to one of your reviews.

My (blog) favorites:

– My favorite (non-review) post has to be the post that went up yesterday about the hottest Disney men. It has been shown some of the most love but it was the most fun to write and I hope you all get a chance to read it!

– My favorite reviews are probably my reviews of Scarlet, Splintered, and The Heroes Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. They were the most fun to write and the authors are just amazing people all around.

Blogger Love-a-Thon Mini Challenge (4)

February 23, 2013 by Alyssa

I hope everyone is enjoying their time today and that everyone is finding new blogs to love! Welcome to Blogger Love-a-Thon! This is a 24 hour event that helps us bloggers take some time to show love to one another! If you are so inclined, head on over to the Announcement Post! This event is hosted by Alexa from Alexa Loves Books and Katelyn from Kate’s Tales of Books & Bands! For this mini challenge I am going to get reflective and write a letter to my younger blogging self!

Dear sweet Alyssa,

What were you thinking?! Starting a blog on a whim in your last quarter of graduate school!! Are you crazy? You’re going to feel the pressure, lady, and you only have yourself to blame! In retrospect you really should have taken some time to hoard some reviews so when school takes over and blogging starts to feel like work you won’t cry and nearly quit! Don’t quit, though! Things do get better. Especially after your move to WordPress, though that move is quite a pain in the arse, I must add.

Here are some things that you have to look forward to: Book Expo America, it is amazing and you will meet lovely bloggers and authors including Lemony Snicket who is really rather handsome and just as funny in person. More importantly, Melissa Marr will hug you even though she claims that she isn’t a “touchy” person. You are going to find new books to read and more importantly, new genres. Be open to them, the books you never thought you would enjoy will turn into some of your favorite reads of all time. You will meet new bloggers who will inevitably turn into some of your best friends IRL. Twitter is your best friend and keeping up with social media is necessary, but I promise once you find your niche it is one of the best things about the whole community. Listen to your fellow bloggers, they love what they do and get just as much joy in recommending books as you do, you can trust them. Most importantly, listen to yourself. If you are struggling with a book that you feel obligated to finish so that you can review it, don’t. Don’t let these “obligations” get in the way of what you love: reading. Though maintaining a blog takes work, it isn’t your job and your obligations are to yourself first and your readers second in that you maintain honesty with them always.

Stay classy, my dear. Things are about to get awesome!

Blogger Love-a-Thon Mini Challenge (3)

February 23, 2013 by Alyssa

Years ago, I was working at Barnes and Noble and was “lucky” enough to work the midnight party for the launch of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. Though I was disgruntled and annoyed at all of the tweens, I was in my glory because I adored the music that we had going on that night. Come to find out, our music manager had found playlists for the books on Stephenie Meyer’s website! I know many of you will be like “um ew…” over 1. Twilight (and I might agree) and 2. some of these songs are a little cheesefest (okay, emo), and there is a lot of Muse (who I just so happen to love). Nonetheless I made you a playlist for The Twilight series with with my own insight and some help from Stephenie Meyer! (Admittedly this playlist could really go for any angsty YA romance novel…ahh love)

I might have had this on repeat for the past few days…

Blogger Love-a-Thon Mini Challenge (2)

February 23, 2013 by Alyssa

Welcome to Blogger Love-a-Thon! This is a 24 hour event that helps us bloggers take some time to show love to one another! If you are so inclined, head on over to the Announcement Post! This event is hosted by Alexa from Alexa Loves Books and Katelyn from Kate’s Tales of Books & Bands! This Mini Challenge is to create some book spine poetry! Due to things I decided to improvise!

Friends, I have to be honest, I recently moved back home and therefore all of my books are packed in boxes and stored in our barn. Since they would take hours to dig out I decided to go through my Goodreads lists and write a little poem based on books from my TBR pile. I hope this isn’t going against the rules and, more importantly, I hope you all enjoy it. Here we go! (Links will take you to Goodreads)

Kleopatra,

Raised by Wolves.

Crave,

Tender Morsels.

Possess,

Monstrous Beauty.

Echo.

Blood Will Tell

The Space Between

Falling Kingdoms.

Fateful,

Queen of Kings.

I had a ridiculous amount of fun “writing” this, my English major brain was in overdrive!! I especially liked the metaphor of Cleopatra being raised by “wolves” and her fateful lifetime, like I said, I am a sucker for these kinds of things! I can’t wait to read everyone’s posts and continue on with our love-a-thon!

Blogger Love-a-Thon Interview Swap

February 23, 2013 by Alyssa

To welcome everyone to the event, bloggers all over have been paired up and have swapped interviews to go live at midnight. I was lucky enough to swap interviews with Lettie from Above Average Below Special! Read our interview, my comments at the end, and come back later in the day to read some really fun posts, including some bookish poetry!

So here we go…

I saw that your blog didn’t start out as a blog dedicated solely to books, what prompted you to start blogging? Why did you decide to change and focus on book reviews?

 I don’t really know why I started blogging I think reading so many blogs encouraged me to start my own! Once I started my mixed blog I found so many book blogs and started doing reviews or memes which was the best part. When I ‘relaunched’ my blog I decided to focus on books because I had the most interaction and fun with my book blogging!

Do you have a literary boyfriend? (Mine changes weekly.)

 I don’t usually do book boyfriends but I think I would love Roar from Under The Never Sky because he is so witty and caring, Adam from If I Stay for his loyalty and talent and Lucas from Easy for his everything!

If you could have dinner with any three people (real or fictitious, dead or alive), which three people would you choose and why?

 I’m going for fictitious otherwise it’s too much choice!  1. Chinky for the Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton, I spent so many years imagining him flying into my room for adventure that he had to make this list!  2. Sirius Black because he must have some brilliant stories to share around the dining table!  3. Last but not least Aria from Under The Never Sky because I really want her to explain her world and tell me all about Perry!

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

 I lived with 6 easily bored boys and 5 wildly fun girls at Uni so life was pretty exciting 24/7! From all night all inclusive parties to going out all out fancy dress style every week to throwing printers out of a 4 storey house to ‘see what would happen’ to walking out of a nightclub as the employees were setting the alarm….. Life with them was full of crazy- my life is so quiet now!

If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? 

I would have been at the Palace of Versailles for the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and the Crystal Palace Exhibition. I would have loved to witness every event for ‘Super’ Saturday London 2012. While I’m on a roll I would also love to witness the Roanoke Colony to see what happened to them and to have been in Kenya when Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II!I tried to limit myself a bit!

I have yet to read His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, but it is on my definite TBR for this year! What is your “spirit animal,” or if you could be best friends with a mythological creature, what would it be?

 I’ve tried to read Northern Lights so many times- I’m sure I should love it! I think I would have a lion or a tiger for my spirit animal! Mythological creature would have to be a Sphinx or a Griffin just because they were my childhood favourites!

If you could be any fictional character, who would it be?

 As I’ve just finished Through The Ever Night I have to say Aria, I love the world building and I want to be best friends with Roar!  Other characters I would also love to be would be Hermione Granger, Alanna of Trebond and Lucy Pevensie!

Up until this year I have had a hard time naming a favorite author and I’m still not sure that I can say with conviction that I have one favorite book. Can you name a favorite author and title?

Why are they your favorites? I couldn’t even name one favourite author! At the moment I would have to say my favourites are Veronica Rossi for her amazing world building and Gayle Forman for her beautiful and deep relationships! But it changes every time I read an awesome book!

What is one of your favorite quotes? Is it literary? Why is it your favorite?

Oscar Wilde is the author of loads of my favourite quotes but this one is one of the best! “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”~ Oscar Wilde. I love this one because it is so true and I am also the overdressed person at gatherings but I’d rather be over dressed than under dressed!

This one was stolen from a friends blog, I saw it and couldn’t resist: “You find yourself in front of seven identical doors, these seven doors lead to seven places: Narnia, Neverland, Wonderland, Hogwarts, Camelot, Middle Earth and Westeros. Which door do you go through? Why that door? What happens?” 

Hogwarts because once I finished school I would be part of the Wizarding world and I could fulfil my childhood dream of becoming a Weasley!

Excellent answers! I recently bought Under the Never Sky and have heard amazing things so I can’t wait to read it! Also after reading your answers it seems like the characters were pretty awesome! Sirius Black would definitely be on my list because I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! He might be one of my literary boyfriends as well! Your time at Uni sounds like it was epic, I bet there was never a dull moment, I can imagine a lot of naps happening during that time! To be honest, as I was thinking of my own answers I still don’t think that I can come up with an event that I would love to witness! How strange! I would definitely go with a feline spirit animal though dragons would be my mythological creature bff, for sure – a Sphinx is also amazing! I have yet to read Gayle Forman but I have heard amazing things, I need to read her books for sure! Finally, who doesn’t have a dream of becoming a Weasley!

Thanks for stopping by, Lettie. I looked forward to learning more about you! Readers, make sure you check back throughout the day, there is sure to be some fun posts!

Happy reading!