Tag: book-talk • BookLikes

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text 2018-01-12 14:36

#24 Follow Friday with book bloggers: Kat's Books

All book lovers know that cats and books go well together. Meet Kat, a true avid reader and a cat lover with an amazing book box library ;)

Follow Kat's Books blog on BookLikes: http://kamoorephoto.booklikes.com/

When did you discover you’re a book lover?

I've truly been a book lover all my life; I was the kind of child that loved going to the library, and got into trouble for bringing my book to the dinner table, and loved organizing my bookshelves. My parents were (and still are) avid book readers, so I'm sure that played a huge part in it. I even fell in love with a series of books about boarding school (by Enid Blyton) so much, that I got my wish to go to an English boarding school (we lived in Hong Kong at the time). Bonus points for looking up where I went: Battle Abbey.

How did your book blogging adventure start and how did it affect your (reading) life?

I started doing reviews, and then started receiving more ARCs, and discovered BookLikes. I enjoy posting reviews and organizing my books online, and hopefully others will read something I wrote and it will help them decide what to read or buy next. I guess it makes me more conscious of what I read next.

What are you reading right now?

I'm reading the ARC for a book called The Afterlives byThomas Pierce, which is a book that almost defies description. It's fascinating, and it's out January 9th, '18. I've also just taken on an epic 'buddy read' of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss , which is 752 pages long (what am I thinking?!). I hope at some point to just focus on that one though. (I've got it on audio too, though)

Do you read one book or several at a time?

I usually only read one at a time, and generally take 2-3 days to finish a book if I'm not too busy and if life isn't too crazy. I like being able to focus on one book, so I can really grasp the story and characters, and only sometimes take on another. I find it's easier to take on a second if it's a different genre, or it's in a different medium (ie audiobook/ebook).

You wish to read 100 books in 2018 - we keep our fingers crossed! How much time do you spend reading?

Well, I only really started tracking my book-reading last June, and I read 69 from June until the end of the year. I usually read several hours late at night (I kind of have an insomnia problem) when it's quiet, and when everyone else is in bed. But I also have MS, so sometimes when I'm not feeling good, and I'm having a good rest, I get in extra reading time. I think I can take on 100 this year!

Kat's Books - Reading Challenge page

What are your favorite book genres? Why are they special?

I like a lot of different genres and read a lot of different kinds of books: thriller, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, literary fiction, memoirs, YA or otherwise. The only genre that doesn't grab me is romance. Can't do it! Sometimes it feels more appropriate or special to do certain ones at different times of the year though.

You’re a cat lover and a photographer <3 Would love to see some pics ;)

I could actually show you my photos all day (see attached, for a few), and you can also find me here: http://kamoorephotography.com

All photos Copyrighted K.A.Moore Photography

In your short bio you write “I'm usually busy taking cat photos at a cat rescue” - tell us more about it.

I've been a volunteer photographer at the same cat rescue for about 7 years now, here in Seattle, and I take photos of cats who especially need photos that need that extra awesome photos from me to get them noticed, ie senior cats, special-needs kitties. I sometimes do private home sessions, families and events too, but I do photos at the rescue every week like clockwork, edit them and get them up on our site.

All photos Copyrighted K.A.Moore Photography

I also design our annual calendar (still for sale! http://bit.ly/CatCalendarKAMoore) I used to work in film production, on movies, and have a degree in film and video, so have always had a penchant for storytelling, but I went back to still photos after I found out I have MS and to slow down a bit.

Copyrighted K.A.Moore Photography

What are your three favorite book covers?

EVER?! That's so hard! There are so many book covers these days and who doesn't pick up a book because they love the cover?

- One of the ALL-TIME best is a children's book – Where The Wild Things Are; it was my son's favorite book when he was little and he was even Max for Halloween when he was 3 (I made his costume).

- My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix (Paperback): it's made to look like a VHS casing/cover, and it is genius. The design is actually by a comedian Doogie Horner and it caught my eye immediately. I also loved the book!

- This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada; I happen to love the book to death, and is one of my top books of 2017, but when you realize what the cover art represents, along with the vibrant simplicity of it, it is unbeatable as a cover design.

How do you pick your next book to read?

I usually set out a bunch for the month because I include ARCs I have (that may have review deadlines), plus I participate in some challenges on Litsy, so sometimes it depends on those two things, but I'm very much a mood reader when I'm picking my next book to read.

Which books are you most excited recommending to your followers in 2018?

- Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh (out next week! I actually also have been written into the sequel too, in a teeny part)

- My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows (I loved My Lady Jane so this is a must)

- The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson (sci-fi genius)

- The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (who wrote 'Final Girls)

- The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke (a genderbent reimaging of Beowulf)

What’s your reading spot? We’d love to see the photos :)

My favorite place is actually in bed, or on my bed, with my cats, and dog. In winter it's snuggly and warm, and in the summer, it's where my fan is.

A paper book or an e-book?

I love paper books, both new and good-condition used books, but I also have a Kindle Fire, and I love being able to read on-the-go and I receive ARCs on there, have Amazom Prime, as well as borrow books from the library that way.

Three titles for a winter evening?

- Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (everyone must read this! It will make you think)

- The Princess Bride by William Goldman (the one romance/comedy/adventure I truly love, and I can't believe I waited so long to read after loving the movie so much)

- Invictus by Ryan Graudin (time-traveling adventure that will take you to Roman times, to the Titanic, and beyond; you'll have so much fun reading this)

Favorite quote?

Actually, my favorite is an animal quote:

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.

~ Anatole France

If you could meet one literary character, who would it be?

I guess he's not really a 'literary' character but after reading and then 'hearing' Trevor Noah's Born A Crime (and if you haven't heard his audiobook yet, you must!), I so would love to meet him.

And Garfield.

Shelfie time! Please share your home library photos :)

Don't laugh! I had to give my big bookcase to my book-loving son when we moved into a smaller place, so now my books are in limbo, mostly in open subscription book boxes. Someone give me a wall bookshelf system!

Thank you!

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Missed previous Follow Friday talks? Use ffwithbookbloggers tag or click the catch up links:

You can nominate your blogger friends to the Follow Friday interview! Leave the URL address and a short note in the comment section below.

See you next Friday!

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text 2017-10-13 13:58

#12 Follow Friday with book bloggers: 99 problems, and a book ain't one

BookLikes

Please welcome Tricia from 99 problems, and a book ain't one!

Follow Tricia's blog here: http://tballa04.booklikes.com/

When did your book love begin?

My love affair with books began when I was a child. We had this great used book store by my house and I remember riding my bike up to it frequently and finding so many great books. They used to do trade-ins too so once I was done reading I could go right back and trade them in for something new. Clearly before my book-hoarding days lol.

How did your blogging adventure start?

My blogging mostly started by discovering that there were actually places where reading enthusiasts could go just to talk about books! Before 2011 I had no idea book blogging was even a thing. Once I found out, I couldn't get enough of reading other people's thoughts on books they've read. From there it progressed pretty quickly, I started commenting and interacting with other bloggers and sharing my thoughts. So when my best friend suggested we start a blog together in 2012 I thought it would be a lot of fun and jumped right in!

Can you name three things that blogging changed in your life?

Absolutely! First and foremost, professionally I made a huge change almost 2 years ago and it all started with blogging. I reviewed an early copy of a book I received from NetGalley and ended up connecting with the author afterwards. We hit it off right away and after a few months of becoming fast friends she offered me a job. Somehow this hobby turned into an actual career, working with one of the things I love the most, BOOKS!

Secondly, the book community in general has been overwhelmingly amazing! In a world, especially now, where things are so turbulent and you see so many negative things floating around every day, the book community has always been so welcoming and supportive, and an all around very positive and refreshing place to be a part of. Booklikes people most especially! When I started blogging I never imagined I would connect with so many new people in ways that went beyond just our love of books. I honestly feel like I found MY PLACE because of blogging. Somewhere I just fit seamlessly, surrounded by kind, smart, truly wonderful people.

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the outrageous amount of incredible reads that I've found because of blogging! Whether it be from a fellow blogger’s glowing review or from an author or publisher wanting to share a new book with me. I mean it is just incredible all around! I never thought people would be approaching me asking ME to read their stories and share my thoughts. I've come across so many amazing stories that I otherwise likely would have not known about to even give a chance to, and that is 100% because of blogging.

What are you favorite genres? Why are they special?

I truly enjoy a good mix of everything, variety is the spice of life afterall! But Fantasy has always held a special place in my heart. The only limitation in Fantasy is imagination. I started out reading books like Matilda, The Indian in the Cupboard, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and it hasn't stopped there. It is a little bit of magic right in your hands, and if you ask me we could all use something fantastic in our lives once in awhile.

You are an Official Blogger for Ozarks Indie Book Fest 2017. That sounds big, congrats! Can you tell us more about the event and your blog’s role.

Thank you! Ozarks Indie Book Fest is a wonderful book festival happening this October in Springfield, Missouri. Not only is it a fun-filled book festival bringing authors and readers together, it is also an event with a heart of gold and all the proceeds from the event are being donated to two amazing charities! Companions for Heroes, who provides companion animals obtained from shelters and/or rescues, who might otherwise be euthanized, free of charge to active duty military personnel, military veterans, and first-responders recovering from the psychological challenges they suffered during service to our country. As well as Loving Paws Animal Rescue, who works to maintain a no-kill animal rescue, bringing care and help to animals in need. You can find out more OIBF info here: http://ozarksindiebookfest.com

When I was first approached over a year ago by a fellow blogger, and a founder of OIBF, to be an official blogger for them I was honored and a little overwhelmed. I had never done anything like that before and I had never even attended a book festival before then. We talked a little more about what it would entail and it is an awesome event for a great cause so I had to join. As an official blogger for them I basically use my blog to help spread the word about the festival itself, as well as the charities, authors, sponsors, location, and events within the festival.

What are you three favorite book covers?

Oh man, that is a tough one, I love so many! I am totally over the moon for Laini Taylor’s Night of Cake and Puppets right now. Not only is the dust jacket gorgeous, but the naked hardcover is absolutely stunning as well. And I usually find myself removing the dust jackets when I read hardcovers so I really appreciate something so beautiful hiding underneath as well.

I also adore E.J. Mellow’s Dreamland series covers. They are so beautiful. The underwater shots with a woman in a gorgeous gown flowing around them, just so pretty with a hint of otherworldly at the same time.

Lastly, I love Lauren Bird Horowitz’s covers for Renegade Red! Yep, that's right covers, plural. Such a cool idea to show an extra piece of the story using 3 different covers, each representing something different and powerful happening within the story inside. And collecting them all is so rewarding for a book hoarder like myself!

You’re reviewed over 400 books on BookLikes. How do you write book reviews, do you make notes during reading or review ad hoc the day you finish the book?

Oh my! I actually had no idea how many reviews I've written here haha. I feel pretty good about 400+! Typically I prefer to just write a review all at once right after I finish. I feel like for me, if I write them right away it is very fresh in my mind and I tend to remember all the little details I want to include. Once in awhile if I'm reading on my kindle I will add a rogue note or two in there if something great jumps in my head in the moment, and I love the highlighting function, I use that constantly to help keep important things easy to look back up for the review.

Which books are you most excited recommending to your followers this fall?

When I think of fall I naturally think of Halloween and the supernatural. I love a good spooky story and this time of year, when your surroundings are so befitting of that spookiness, tis the season! Bring on the spine-tingling goodness!

One of my favorite series is the Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle. Think Ghost Hunters in book form, with other supernatural creatures lurking about too. It is fun and frightening and the main character is so darn relatable, I just love it all!

Also, I am a huge Stephen King fan and he has so much of his stuff coming to the big and little screen right now, It is already out in theaters and Gerald's Game and 1922 are coming to Netflix soon. I highly recommend reading the books before watching the movies/shows! And I don't know about you but I am pumped for Sleeping Beauties which he co-wrote with his son Owen. I pre-ordered that one as one of my extra Book of the Month picks next month.

What’s your favorite reading place? We’d love to see the photos :)

A picture really is worth a thousand words here! A few years ago for my birthday my handy dandy guy built me this magical reading nook in our spare room. I love curling up in there with my beagle and getting lost in a great book.

Do read one or several books at a time?

Usually I only read one at a time. Although recently I have been trying to tackle the ever growing TBR mountain of books I own, so I've been reading a paperback/hardback by day and a kindle book at night. So basically book-batmaning. Is that a thing? Let's pretend it is for this ;)

A paper book or an e-book?

Both. I love the experience of reading a physical book, the turning of the pages, the feel in your hands, even that special book smell! On the flip side, e-books are so convenient. You have a limitless library at the tip of your one-clicker and it is so easy to take them all with you wherever you go. Plus I love reading in bed at night, and e-readers are ideal for that. No booklights to constantly shift around and having to reposition the book 156,954 times because it is bulky and won't sit just right.

Three titles for your best friend?

Does this mean picking actual book titles for my best friend? This is awesome! In advance, I'm sorry we're weird.

How to be Inappropriate, Feelings and How to Destroy them, and The Zombie Survival Guide.

Any friendship worth its salt has bore a zombie apocalypse discussion/plan...right?

Favorite quote?

Another tough one! This one is definitely a favorite and also something I believe in fiercely.

“Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passion.

If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers.”
― Colleen Hoover, Slammed

If you could meet one author, who would it be?

Eeekk! So many! I guess I'd have to go with Stephen King though. His books were such a big part of my reading life throughout the years. I started reading King books as a kid and I haven't stopped yet!

Shelfie time! Please share your home library photos :)

My nook shelves <3

Thank you so much for including me in Follow Friday this week!

Thank you!

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Missed previous Follow Friday talks? Use ffwithbookbloggers tag or click the catch up links:

#11 Follow Friday with book bloggers: Book Cupidity [Nominated] ->

#10 Follow Friday with book bloggers: The Book Gourmet ->

You can nominate your blogger friends to the Follow Friday interview! Click here and leave the URL address in the comment section.

See you next Friday!

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text 2017-10-06 13:57

#11 Follow Friday with book bloggers: Book Cupidity [Nominated]

BookLikes

[Nominated by BLoggers]

Wave to Courtnie from the Book Cupidity blog! Hello, Courtnie! Lovely to have you with us!

Follow Courtnie and her book blog Book Cupidity: http://c0urtnie.booklikes.com/

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Tell us about your first book love.

Such a tough question...I think I could come up with something sweet or poetic, but honestly I think my first lasting book love was Jericho Barrons. That whole series (Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning) just stuck with me for days and days after reading. Jericho Barrons was probably the first anti-hero I'd ever read and he was unabashedly amoral. He got under my skin, he made me think. And he was very good looking and owned a bookshop in Dublin. Who wouldn't be a lost cause to that?

What made you start writing about books?

Before I began book reviewing/book blogging, I remember that lonely, frustrated feeling of not being able to share how a book made me feel with people who 'got it'. I wanted to talk about books with other people - writing about books seemed like the way to join the conversation.

Does book blogging have an impact on your book picks?

Yes! So much so. Being a part of a book blogging community, getting to know other bloggers and their tastes and vice versa, reading their blogs and reviews has moved me so much over the years. I've stretched and read things that I previously would have willingly passed - sometimes because someone loved it, sometimes because someone hated it! I'm horribly suggestible when it comes to books. Shameful really and my never ending to-be read list is proof.

You mention cookbooks on your blog. Can you recommend a perfect pairing of a yummy dish and a book to accompany it?

Well, it's fall. Around my house, fall means the return of chilling books and warming chili.

For a book I'd suggest The Terror by Dan Simmons because it will chill you to the bone. It's one part historical fiction and one part frigid psychological horror. The historical backbone is Franklin's lost expedition to the arctic. Two ships stranded in the icy wasteland for two years sounds bad enough but things really get sideways when men start disappearing and the Captain begins to wonder if something is stalking them on the ice. Very atmospheric and not to be rushed - let it simmer. Like chili in fact! Here's my recipe:

(This makes enough for a crowd, it also freezes well)

1 29oz can of Tomato Sauce (or large can)

1 15oz can of Tomato Sauce (or regular sized can)

1 15oz can of Diced Tomatoes

1 green pepper

1 onion

1.5lbs ground beef

3 cans of beans (I use a mix of kidney and pinto)

Seasoning:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 scant tsp cayenne

1 heaping tsp dried basil

2 heaping tbsp flour

2 tsp sugar

Dice onion and green pepper, saute in coconut oil (or whatever cooking oil you prefer). I like to season with salt and pepper. Brown ground beef, drain. Mix seasoning ingredients and stir. In large pot with a lid, combine veggies, tomato products, seasoning, beans and browned meat. Cover and simmer. The longer the better. If we have beer on hand, I almost always add a glug or two of beer to my chili because the hoppy nuttiness is yummy here. Sometimes a little brown sugar as well, to taste - depends on the flavor/acidic level of the canned tomatoes.

What are your three favorite book covers?

I really don't have three FAVORITE book covers, BUT I love a good romance cover and stepback. Sometimes because they are cheesy and perfect, sometimes because they're really pretty - occasionally they're very risque. All of them are like a little extra surprise. I like Eloisa James cover and stepback here for her book When Beauty Tamed the Beast, which is a favorite book of mine too.

Amanda Quick's books have great stepbacks.

And lastly, I've always been in love with the artist who does the work for Patricia Briggs' covers. Dan dos Santos does really pretty work, in my opinion.

Your bookshelf looks very well organized, a lot of additional shelves tagged with the challenge years and author shelves etc. How does the shelving system help you in finding your next book to read?

I treat my shelves like a list of sorts. When I have a specific reading goal, shelving is an easy way to make a list at a glance. I've used author shelves specifically if I planned on reading their catalogue. It's helped me see at a glance what I have had left to read or what not. Sometimes I have other zany reasons to sort books out, but it's almost always used so that I can see where I've been to know where I'm going.

You’re in the middle of Halloween bingo. What are you reading right now?

My Halloween Bingo read right now is Mirror Image by Sandra Brown for Romantic Suspense - she's always good for impossibly over the top scenarios, a steamy romance and a quick pace. I'm also starting Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier with Murder by Death for the Gothic square, and I'm doing a buddy read of Mr Mercedes by Stephen King for the Modern Masters of Horror square with a throwback bookliker and friend, Bookstooge.

The Fall is a major new release time. Which books are you most excited recommending to your followers this season?

I keep up on precious few new releases, so we'll skip this one too :)

What’s your reading spot? We’d love to see the photos :)

My favorite reading spot is a funny question... right now, it's wherever I can find a little quiet. I have two very active boys who are 6 and 9 years old and family life is very hectic. I'm in a constant rush to get somewhere or do something or constantly dodging the neighborhood kids that invade my home. These days I find I do a lot of reading leaning against the kitchen counter while something is cooking or wherever I can land somewhat comfortably with bit of quiet. I've been known to sit on my basement steps waiting for the laundry to dry with a book in hand because no one was down there. :)

A paper book or an e-book?

Both, at the same time of the same book! Maybe a little unconventional, but since I steal all my moments to read, having it in both formats is very, very handy. I read on my phone at the line in the bank and then finish the paper copy by my nightstand lamp light. I love this age we're in where I can have it all ways at my fingertips.

Do you read one or several books at a time?

I read several at a time. It's a habit I've grown into because I didn't start out that way - I used to be a girl who would read one book cover to cover devotedly. I've gotten a bit more loose as I've aged and like to cheat on one genre with another.

Favorite quote?

“I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul.”
― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

I will say though that the quote that I've returned to again and again in my life and have kept in my hip pocket is actually from Eleanor Roosevelt and is not a book quote (cheating here, I know) - "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent". Eleanor's perseverance has always had an impact on me.

If you could ask one author out, who would it be?

Another tough one... I can easily list several favorite authors, but as far as one that I'd want to have a beer with and shoot the breeze? I think it would have to be Jim Butcher. Off the top of my head, I can come up with a half dozen topics of conversation that I'd be eager to hear him talk about. He was once from my neck of the woods and we would presumably have some things in common besides my love of his books, plus he just seems like an easy going, laid back, fun guy. I could name others, but I'm not sure I'd know what to say to many to make the experience worthwhile.

Shelfie time! Please share your home library photos :)

Confession time! I have absolutely no organization when it comes to my home library. We've not yet figured out a good system after having abandoned the alphabetical order thing that was a complete disaster. I am a bad bibliophile.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share!

Thank you!

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Missed previous Follow Friday talks? Use ffwithbookbloggers tag or click the catch up links:

You can nominate your blogger friends to the Follow Friday interview! Click here and leave the URL address in the comment section.

See you next Friday!

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text 2017-08-04 13:54

#3 Follow Friday with book bloggers: Tigus

BookLikes

Say Hello to Tigus in #FFWithBookBloggers session!

Follow Tigus on BookLikes: http://tigus.booklikes.com/

Tell us how did your book love begin?

I was about eight years old, and I remember reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, outside and tucked into corners of the schoolyard, while other kids ran around and played. Just before that, I had had a Grade 2 teacher, Mrs. Rainsborough who would read Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary to the class, and that's probably the earliest I remember loving stories and figuring out that there was a lot more where that came from. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Judy Blume

I was into comic books around then, chiefly Spider-Man at first; Amazing Spider-Man #s 147, 149-50 (the culmination of the Jackal storyline) was a great lure...and since it functioned as a pretty cool Murder Mystery, that fit in well with my first Hardy Boys book, a good one, The Disappearing Floor. As I was growing out of that series for young readers, I jumped to one of two Agatha Christie books lying around the house--And Then There Were None --and that really hooked me on Mystery novels.

Science Fiction movies and TV shows were a big deal in the late 1970s, and my earliest SF reading commitments were Jack Williamson, and the Perry Rhodan English translations.

Your BookLikes Shelf is packed with different genres: mysteries, biographies, sci-fi and fantasy, graphic novels, horrors. What makes you pick the book in a given genre?

I have these lists of recommended reading, mainly "100 Best" Lists, in book form, many of them out of date now, which became a bit of a publishing trend, let's say from about 1985-1990. Of course, the internet provides this sort of thing now--and my old lists have become a way to select books that have aged somewhat as the years go by and I acquire the titles.

Recently, there was this British mag, Crime Scene Magazine, that has kind of got me sweeping up just about everything they positively review; sadly, I think the mag is cancelled as of issue 7, so it the issues will serve as a finite list that I can actually finish up with someday!

All of this List reliance, though, probably takes a back seat to simply going to a big bookstore and browsing around for an hour or so; if I've been buying too many "List" choices, I make the trip about picking books out of the blue, based mainly on a back-cover synopsis, and certainly if I already know and love the writer's work.

What made you start writing about books/book blogging?

Well I don't actually write that many reviews, or do lengthy blogs, do I? I give updates each day, with some kind of quick reaction to what I just read, which at least keeps me around as an active, reliably present member. I like making my own Lists at BookLikes; that's fun!

Anyway, as for how all that started, it was after really committing to the internet around 1998 (I was kind of a holdout), and then discovering some forums and chatrooms and meeting people. Now it's kind of second nature, and my chief aim, as I get older, is to pick a few BookLikes friends who make their own updates that keep me interested in what they're reading...and not fight with anyone or insult anyone's taste.

via

Your profile picture on BookLikes blog - why Walter Matthau?

Is there any other reasonable choice? Actually, that particular image is sort of a classic one, even amongst his various mugshots, because it ends the film The Taking Of Pelham One-Two-Three (original version), and he's overdoing the hangdog look as he gives a gaze of shame to a villain who has just slipped up and given himself away. This was one of the first fairly violent movies I remember watching to the end on late-night TV as a kid...although I discovered later that it had been drastically edited, and was much more violent and cussword-ridden than I could have guessed. Displaced from the film, that Matthau face does reflect my inherent cynicism, though I try to keep even a cynical sense of humor, so I don't have to go the whole nine yards and just put up an Eeyore picture.

Did blogging have an impact on your reading life?

I would say not much, in any concrete sense. Getting feedback from friends will alert me to a book that looks interesting, now and then. My little bitty blogs don't affect much of anything, but give me a bit of pleasure. I would say that when I really love a book, it becomes a mission to spread the word a bit, and it's neat to see it up on someone's Planning To Read postings shortly after that (That was ME! I did that! They may not ever read it, but...I did that!).

When you write a book review - do you have a scheduled plan what to include or is it a spontaneous reaction to what you’ve just read?

If I'm writing a review, I've probably been inspired to not be lazy and get it done because three or four points about the book have crystallized in my mind. If I've walked home from the coffee shop, or for any other reason not had access to a computer right after finishing a fabulous book (I do not own a cellphone), that's actually a good thing, because I'll fill time analyzing the book in my head, sorting ideas and thoughts, and getting to a point where this light goes on and won't go off: "I think we've got a review here...so write it before you forget everything!" Still, I confess I don't write many reviews. I do love commenting on books as I go through them, though!

What are your three favorite book covers?

I love the cover on my old copy of Orbitsville, a novel by Bob Shaw; the cover art is by Tim White. I love the "stars as the ground' reversal, and just the way the trees and buildings are rendered--softly--with no sharp edges and an air of peace and gentleness, which is what Orbitsville is all about when you read the book. I would give anything to live in Orbitsville, and Tim White's version is especially appealing.

Meanwhile, the Agatha Christie novel I rudely passed on when I was a kid at home--in favor of And Then There Were None (which oddly did not have the better cover) was a Fontana (I think) paperback edition with this nifty skull/candy-apple image as the main attraction; I love the stark effectiveness of it: evil melds with childhood innocence; terror merging with fondly-remembered fun and games. I especially like how the image actually seems to be really wet, gooey, ooze dripping down--the eyes having almost a tactile response, maybe even a smell unwittingly imagined. I remember now...I think I wanted to save what looked like the better Christie choice for later; that was the thinking.

Lastly, I'll mention a Baen paperback edition of a Retief collection by Keith Laumer... Retief of the CDT. So arrogant and cocky is Retief--but then he does look like he's earned a bit of a swelled head, given the state of the giant beastie lying behind him.

Which books are you most excited recommending to your followers?

I'm not sure how to answer this. If the point is not for me to just list my all-time favorites, then I would say as an alternative to that kind of excitement, it's most fun when someone reads something I loved not long after I read it, so that if conversation breaks out--even healthy disagreement on just how good the book is (or not)--I never have go to "Well, I read it a long time ago...".

What’s your reading spot? We’d love to see the photos :)

Well you're not gonna get photos, because I avoid cellphones, and what you would see is your standard coffee shop, with perhaps a focus on a favored table near the window and far from talkers and people who make strange noises. Go to a Starbucks and figure out which table the bookworm would sit at, and take a picture of it, because that's where I'd be. It would be a boring, underwhelming picture, but it's heaven for me with a book and a beverage.

via Tigus blog Shelf

A paper book or an e-book?

Just paper books, so far. Maybe e-books sometime up in the future.

Three title for a dessert island?

I'm not going to stew over this painful question for very long, because it can become very frustrating to make choices. I'll pick The Count of Monte Christo, amongst books that I have not read yet, because it's long, and I have faith that I will enjoy it. Then, I'll change gears, and pick two books I have already read: I'll take my favorite book of all time (so far): The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers. And I'll bring my favorite Wodehouse's Quick Service.

A book that changed your life?

Why Men Are The Way They Are, by Warren Farrell.

Favorite quote?

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.

William Shakespeare, Measure For Measure

If you could meet one author, who would it be?

PG. Wodehouse, no contest. I did get to meet Robert Silverberg, briefly, at TorCon 3 in 2003, and he signed my copy of Up the Line. That was cool!

Shelfie time! Please share your home library photos :)

That's just not going to happen, but can we compromise with a photo taken of me today at work, with a cellphone (not mine)?

Missed previous Follow Friday talks? Use ffwithbookbloggers tag or click the catch up links:

See you next Friday!

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#2 Follow Friday with book bloggers: Punya Reviews…

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Follow Punya Reviews… : http://punya.booklikes.com

Let’s start with the first book you’ve read. Did that title made you a book lover?

Oh, I don’t really remember what the first book I ever read was but I do know that reading books was something that has been instilled in me from childhood. My first book very well may have been a nursery rhyme or a fairytale. But I can tell you the first book that introduced Romance to me. It was a translated copy of Victoria Holt’s On the Night of the Seventh Moon. Yes I loved the title of this book enough to go in search of more Victoria Holt books. It sure did make me a Romance novel lover!

On your blog page you write that you love reading romance and watching anything that is related to ghosts and haunting. What’s the best romance book and the best ghost movie/series you’ve ever read and watched?

I have quite the list of favorite books, mainly under Historical Romance, which is my favorite Romance sub-genre. Lisa Kleypas’s Dreaming of You is one of my all-time favorite Historical Romances. I enjoy reading real life haunting stories. I don’t watch as many movies as I read books, but I do watch some ghost hunting shows.

Ghost Adventures is my favorite show. I also enjoyed a very short lived show called The Great British Ghosts. This show was quite fascinating because of the legends and folklore that went with the so-called haunting of an old castle or an even older inn. I wish there were more seasons.

Since you’re a huge music lover we’re wondering whether the music influences your book picks or is it just a reading time companion?

I don’t choose music based on a book but I have, at times, thought of a certain book while listening to a certain song, and vice versa. I never do both at the same time. For me, it’s either reading or listening to music.

What made you start writing about books/book blogging?

Probably my love for reading and writing both. When I joined goodreads for the first time back in 2010, it was simply going to be a place to keep track of my reading. I have written long papers while doing my MA but I never thought about actually becoming a book reviewer. Then I begin writing down my thoughts about the book I was reading in the comments section of goodreads, and this kind of started my interest in book review going. In 2011, my blog Punya Reviews… also started as another place to post my reviews. However, within a year I knew I’d like to continue book blogging as long as I can because I vastly enjoyed the process of talking about a book from my own perspective.

Did blogging have an impact on your reading life?

Yes, it had. When I started doing blog tours, it did take up quite a bit of my time. Alongside my work hours, I was juggling regularly. My reviews are generally long, and writing those reviews took time too. I had to figure out how to balance it all. How many tours I can do a month so I can read and review the books I want to. Yet, through book blogging, I have discovered new authors and their books. So yes, blogging has had quite an impact on my reading life.

You have a MA degree in English Literature (Bravo!), does it mean you’re lucky to be reading books at your workplace? :)

Unfortunately, no. I don’t try to read at my workplace because I’m always distracted by this or that and reading, for me, is like meditation. I don’t like distractions when I’m reading. It’s also the reason why I prefer an e-ink reader (kindle paperwhite in my case), rather than a smart phone or devices like that.

What are your favorite book covers?

There are many of those. I generally love the book covers of the Historical Romance published from different publishers; the vibrant colors and the dresses really appeal to me. If I can mention stepbacks, I absolutely LOVE the original stepback of Dreaming of You. I thought this should’ve been the cover!

I also really liked the cover of an old bodice ripper by Sharon Salvato called Bitter Eden. I’ve never read it but I added it to my TBR just for the cover. Then there were those where I’d gotten enamored of a cover because of the hot guy featured on it. That’s one list that’s gonna take up pages. hahaha

Which books are your most exciting recommendation to your followers?

I always recommend books by my favorite authors like Lisa Kleypas or Elizabeth Hoyt or Carla Kelly if they’re a Historical Romance lover like me. Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflowers and Hathaways series or Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series. Carla Kelly has some ah-meh-zing books out there, most traditional regency or Christian-themed but I don’t mind.

I recently read A Moonbow Night by Laura Frantz. The narratives in that story were marvelous. The suspense in the end simply blew my mind. Very emotional, as well was a rewarding experience. If you’re going for a little erotically edgy Paranormal Romance, I’d highly recommend Janine Ashbless’s The Book of the Watchers series. I’m yet to finish book 2 cause I’m scared of another long wait until book 3 (waited for book 2 for almost 3yrs). I’m reading that one bit by bit, savoring it. I know, I’m weird like that.

There are many authors I can mention here whose works I’ve recently come to admire, like Ramona Flightner, Emily Larkin, Morgan O’Neill, Scottie Barrett (steamy historical romance). The list can go on.

What’s your reading spot? We’d love to see the photos :)

Haha, I generally prefer my bed for reading, when I’m totally relaxed and not bothered by the outside world. I really wish I had a reading nook I could feature here. However, if you’d like to see a picture of the type of reading nook I’d love to have someday, here is one:

via Pintrest

A paper book or an e-book?

At the moment, definitely ebooks! I’m in love with my kindle PW and wouldn’t exchange it for anything the world. I do understand the appeal of paperbacks but ebooks are just too convenient to “carry around”, if I may say so.

Three titles for a dessert island?

Hmmm, I’ve never given thoughts on DIK books. Still, if I had to choose in a nutshell: Lisa Kleypas’s Dreaming of You, any Carla Kelly title, Scottie Barrett’s Branded.

A book that changed your life?

Again I’d like to refer back to Victoria Holt’s On the Night of the Seventh Moon. It got me interested in the Romance genre, inspiring me to explore and discover the many wonderful authors and books that I’ve read in the years since then.

Favorite quote?

Funnily enough, my most favorite quote isn’t from a book but from a song. Don’t get me wrong, there are numerous book quotes I’ve loved but this one is just…special. It’s from Sting’s An Englishman in New York, where he goes…

Be yourself, no matter what they say.

He’s one of my favorite singers and I love to sing along with him. :)

If you could meet one author, who would it be?

Okay, this will be a VERY difficult task to choose only one author. I want to meet all my favorite authors at least once in my life but… Lisa Kleypas, definitely! I’d like to ask her Derek’s whereabouts. I miss him. hahaha

Shelfie time! Please share your home library photos :)

Sadly, I don’t have a home library. More specifically nothing that I can actually show off. I don’t own many paperbacks cause I’ve been buying and reading ebooks for a while. For now, that’s where I’m building my library. But I hope to build a home library someday.

Punya's virtual bookshelf on BookLikes

You can also find Punya here:

BookLikes:

http://punya.booklikes.com

Punya Reviews…

https://punyareviews.blogspot.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PunyaReviews/

Twitter:

@PunyaHRashid

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