Hello, bookworms! It's time for me to present to you August's featured blogger. This month we have my very own bestie and fellow piece of trash, Rachel from Rachel's Really Random Reviews!
You and Your Blog
How long have you been blogging, and what was it that inspired you to get started?
I created my blog in January 2012, but I didn't really start using it properly until around June of the same year. I initially set it up as somewhere to write a little about my life, along with various other things such as book and movie reviews, but as university was keeping me extremely busy I didn't really use it until the summer break. Right before the break, I decided to check out a few books from the very limited YA section of my university library. As I had no idea Goodreads existed back then, I decided to use my blog to keep track of the books I had read over the summer. I had finally found a purpose for my blog, and although I only meant to keep it for the summer, I enjoyed writing down my thoughts so much that I decided to continue with it after summer was over!
What is the best part about blogging for you?
I love getting emails from self published authors asking me to review their books! There are so many amazing books that are not published in the traditional way, and without my blog I wouldn't have the opportunity to discover so many.
Nothing too drastic, but I am constantly making spelling mistakes! I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to HTML, so I do a lot of copy and pasting from previous posts to get the formatting the same for each post, and on a couple of occasions I've forgot to delete something I've pasted in from a previous post, which I haven't realised until a reader has pointed it out in the comments!
What has been your favourite blogging memory?
Although I adore getting requests from self published authors, it was a pretty big moment for me when I got approached by Orion publishing asking me if I wanted to review Charlaine Harris' new series. I used to be a huge True Blood nerd, so being asked to review a book by such a well known author felt like a huge step.
What do you hope to achieve with your blog in the future?
Discovering even more amazing books! I would also love to try to be a little more active in the blogging community, as I tend to just quietly do my own thing and not interact with others much.
You and Books
What appeals to you when searching for new books to read?
I feel as if Goodreads is a good tool for finding books that are similar to ones I've enjoyed. I also love it when people recommend their favourite books to me. I try to find a balance between reading what's popular and reading self published books.
Are there any genres that you avoid?
I tend to read mostly YA, although I do also review one of the classics every other month. I don't read adult books too often, but ones that I definitely would never read are adult romance and erotica. Inside of YA however, there isn't really anything that I actively avoid.
What book would you say has had the biggest impact on your life?
I really don't want to be a cliché and say Harry Potter, but I have to say Harry Potter. It has been my all time favourite series since I was eight years old, and I don't think I'll ever find a series that will be able to beat it. When I was a child, I was very much like Hermione. I was one of the smartest kids in my class, I loved reading and I didn't have many friends. Having Hermione in my life really helped me to see that I wasn't alone, and that there were other kids like me. She made me realise that being smart and enjoying books wasn't a bad thing, and she honestly ended up being my role model.
What book are you currently anticipating?
I was going to say Lord of Shadows but that's not coming out for ages! I honestly think I'm going to die of old age before Cassandra Clare stops writing Shadowhunters books. I also really want to read Juno Dawson's new book, Margot and Me. The fact that it's set partly in the 1940's sounds really interesting and I can't wait to read it!
Tell us who your favourite fictional characters are!
I have so many I'd be here all year trying to name them all so here's a few that randomly pop into my head:
* Draco Malfoy
* Scorpius Malfoy
* Hermione Granger
* Luna Lovegood
* Adam Parrish
* Ronan Lynch
* Magnus Bane
* Alec Lightwood
* Will Herondale
* Jem Carstairs
* Baz Pitch
* Cath Avery
All About You
What are your hobbies? (Besides books and blogging, of course.)
I'm obsessed with way too many movies and tv shows. I also love playing video games and could easily spend a whole day on my Wii. I'm also addicted to listening to showtunes! I attempt to write my own stories occasionally, but I don't think i'm very good at it!
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| Rachel lurking in her natural habitat, the bookshop |
Actually get a paying job, write a book that I'm happy with, get said book published.
Most embarrassing moment?
My whole life.
What animal represents you the most?
Probably a koala I too am fat, sleep lots and eat.
If you could travel back in time to chat to any person in history, who would it be and why?
Maybe J.R.R Tolkein just because I am obsessed with Middle Earth! I would love to know how on earth he came up with the inspiration, and how he managed to create a new language.
This or That
Coffee or Tea?
TEA!! I am a typical British person
Library or Bookshop?
Bookshop even though I will probably end in me crying over not being able to buy anything
Summer or Winter?
Winter
Sunrise or Sunset?
Sunset
Cats or Dogs?
Dogs
Facebook or Twitter?
Where can readers find you?
You can find me regularly shit posting on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RacheyRagdoll
If you'd rather see what book is currently ruining my life then follow me on Goodreads! https://www.goodreads.com/racheyragdoll
Huge thank you to Rachel for stopping by the blog! Here's one of many beautiful pictures of us as a thanks for your time ;)
BOOK BLOGGERS: I am currently looking for a blogger to be September's featured interview! If you're interested in taking part, send me an email and let me know: queenofteenfiction@hotmail.co.uk
