I’m participating in this year’s Armchair BEA! This online event is perfect for people who desperately wish they could attend Book Expo America, but are unable to for whatever reason. Armchair BEA is all about networking and getting to know your fellow bloggers! If you want to meet more bloggers, check out the full list of interviews here!
The awesome people behind Armchair BEA wrote up 10 interview questions. You can choose five to answer and then post on your blog!
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Please tell us a bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?
Hello! My name is Ashley! I have only had my book blog for just under two months. I wanted to start a book blog as a way to document the books I’ve read and my opinions of them. I honestly had no idea how incredibly diverse and friendly the book blogging community was. All I can say is that I’m THRILLED to have discovered it!
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What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?
I have two favourite books from 2012: Divergent by Veronica Roth and Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. Quite different genres, but both AMAZING reads!
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Where do you see your blog in five years?
Like most bloggers, I’m sure, I hope to see my blog grow and gain in followers. In five years, a total of 1000+ followers across different platforms (RSS, Twitter, etc.) would be awesome, but maybe that’s unrealistic — I don’t know. But to be honest, I would still be happy if I’m still where I am right now. I’m already thrilled with the amount of new bloggers I’ve met, the interaction on my blog, and my fairly modest amount of readers.
One thing I do hope to expand is my Bitchin’ Book Blog category. I’m really hoping to use my web design/coding skills and knowledge of the WordPress blogging platform to help my fellow book bloggers with the more technical aspects of their blogs. Maybe I’ll also be able to help fellow book bloggers with their WordPress theme designs!
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What is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?
It’s not entirely related to books, but probably Good Web Design Practices — Beginners. I work as a web designer and I just hope that this post provides some basic design and “good practices” tips to fellow bloggers!
Also make sure you check out my giveaway for a signed copy of City of Lost Souls! It’s my first giveaway so I’m pretty excited. 🙂
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Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?
Yes! And I’m absolutely thrilled that they have! I feel like I have a whole new world of books open to me. Before I started blogging, I was almost 100% strictly a fantasy reader. I read books with dragons, magic, and mythology. That’s a great genre, but there are also other great ones out there like dystopian and paranormal that I only started reading more recently. I have definitely started branching out a bit and I’m absolutely loving it. In general, the book blogging community has increased my awareness of all the amazing books that are out there. For that, I’m super grateful!
If you’re participating in Armchair BEA, leave me a link to your interview answers! 🙂
I just started the Mortal Instruments series last week too. I agree that life should have more magic and possibly unicorns instead of dragons.
You can’t help but expand the types of books you read when you are a blogger–there’s too many people raving about all kinds of books! Happy Reading!
Your Bitchin’ Book Blog series sounds awesome. I know when I started seven years ago, I wish someone had been there to show me the ropes. I’ve only recently gone to a self-hosted blog and still need help from time to time. You might see me back here to check out that feature — as well as other aspects of your blog.
Thanks! I have a lot of really exciting posts on the horizon for Bitchin’ Book Blog, including how to create book review indexes by title, author, or year that update automatically! Hope you check them out when they’re posted 🙂
Hey Ashley! Wow-you are just starting out! But, very smart of you to get involved with this right off the bat! How great you work as a web designer(!) A lot of us struggle with the simplest stuff – LOL – like linking and making badges. It took me FOREVER to make my first badge 🙂
Hi there Libby! Yeah there is a bit of a learning curve when starting out with website and Photoshop stuff. But once you get into it, it can become a second nature!
First I have to say your blog is lovely! I have also stretched my boundaries and delved into new genres that I’ve found through blogging. I never would have picked up Fantasy on my own, but have dabbled a little bit since I began blogging. So nice to meet you and thank you for sharing your web design info. That’s one area where I am most certainly a beginner!
Thanks, Teresa! Stay tuned – I’ll be posting more web design tips soon! 🙂 I think it’s awesome that you’ve dipped into the fantasy genre! It’s one of my favourites!
Thanks for coming by!
We’ve been blogging about the same amount of time! It’s so much fun, isn’t it?
And I agree, fantasy is AWESOME, but I’ve also discovered some great new genres through blogging!
Nice to meet you!
Hi Lauren! Awesome that we’ve been blogging the same amount of time! It’s definitely a lot of fun and such a great community! It’s so easy to get into the book blogging world. I love how welcoming everyone is. 🙂
I love that you are interested in helping other bloggers with the technical aspects of blogging. Unfortunately my brain seems to be unable to understand how wordpress works. 🙂
Have a great week!
Hi Sabrina! I love your avatar picture! WordPress can be a little daunting at first (it was for me too!), but it’s a really powerful platform! Thanks so much for posting.
Your blog looks great! I’m sure if you are blogging consistently and interacting with the book blogging community then you will have no problem at all with your follower goals.
My reading tastes have changed a lot too. I used to read a lot more sci-fi, but have added more women’s fiction and YA since I started blogging.
hey Ashley! so nice to meet you. I don’t think a total of 1000+ is unrealistic at all, I think you just have to be committed and work hard. 🙂 I love that you work as a web designer. Love the water colours of your layout!
Thanks Elena! 🙂 I’ll definitely work hard over the next few months/years!
I loved Divergent. I’m hoping that I get to Insurgent sometime this summer. Happy Armchair BEA!
Thanks Meg! I haven’t read Insurgent yet but I own a copy. I’m really looking forward to reading it too!!
Thank you for the web design book! I so want to learn how do that. I’m like you I also discovered YA Dystopia through blogging & am so thankful for it.
That’s the exact same reason I started blogging. Then I got sucked into the book blogging world! I think it’s cool that you’re helping out other bloggers with design and such. I’m starting to get really interested in the technical aspects of having a blog and recently switched to self-hosted. So I know it can be tough and bloggers can use all the help we can get!
Yeah the technical aspects of a blog are really exciting! Having a self-hosted blog allows for so much awesome customization! I love it!! Thanks for coming by 🙂
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. Your site is really nice and clean, so it doesn’t surprise me that you’re a web designer. It’s great that you share design tips with other bloggers. I’ll check back because there’s always something new to learn!
There is nothig wrong with reading tons of fantasy, though I must say I read more mysteries than anything else anymore. Hope you enjoy the week.
Hi Ashley =) Thanks for stopping by my post – very happy to meet you! I’m so excited to hear you loved Pushing the Limit. I have a copy and I’m dying to read it.
Welcome to the book blogosphere, Ashley! It really is a wonderful community to be a part of! I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do!
Hi Ashley, so happy to meet you! and wow what a great resource you are for WP! Your enthusiasm is contagious ;-D
Happy Armchair BEA Week!
Blogging really does open you up to many different genres, doesn’t it? I have never been too much into fantasy (have never found a series that caught on with me) but I love dystopian and paranormal.
Have a lovely Armchair BEA!
Hi Ashley! Welcome to the book blogging world 🙂 Your blog looks great for only being established for under 2 months!! I’ll be sure to check out your good design practices – I’m planning on working on my blog’s design this summer and I’m just a beginner, so it sounds perfect! Nice to meet you, and thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂
Welcome to the blogosphere!! 😀 That’s awesome. And I’m glad you found us! Also: yay on Divergent! That’s awesome. I absolutely loved it when I read it last year as well. It’s fantastic! 🙂 I love that we influence each other’s reading so much as well. It’s cool to hear from so many!
Thanks for stopping by!
I know, right? When getting into book blogging you get swept off your feet to know how developed this community is. I felt the same way when I started book blogging, I didn’t even have a clear notion of what it was and that so many awesome people were already doing it. 😀
I have to read Pushing the Limits, it’s waiting for me to make the time for it, can’t wait. Heard some really good things about it from other bloggers, so I’m all excited about it 😀
Loved to know more about you and your blog. 🙂
I agree, blogging is a FABULOUS way to get exposed to different types of books/different genres. I love getting recommendations from people and finding bloggers whose tastes are similar to mine.
Also, LOVE Divergent… definitely an awesome book.
Welcome to blogging! Nice that you have some goals for yourself, I hope you achieve them.
I love your blog design, btw!
I am SO ready to read Pushing the Limits! I have it..must get to it!
I love that you have a little “tip” post. I’ll have to check it out! I’ve written a few of them myself for various things that I love.
Thanks for stopping by mine!
It’s always nice to have your reading world expanded. I know that I read a lot more contemporary YA than I ever thought I would. Nice meeting you!
Kate @ Ex Libris
Hi Ashley, congratulations on starting your blog. I really like it. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your Bitchin Book Blog category sounds interesting. I am looking forward to following you :).
Thank you so much Ellen! 🙂
Hi! I just checked out your Bitchin Book Blog category and your tips on web design! That’s awesome you are trying to share you knowledge. I LOVE to play around with web design and although my site is on Blogger, I have thought about moving it to WordPress. I designed everything on my site all by myself and I’m pretty freakin proud of it! So I guess I’ll just stay put for awhile! LOL I enjoy messing around in Photoshop and just trying to create new stuff.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and it was nice to “meet” you!
Woohoo – a fellow fantasy reader! I’m a lot more open-minded than I was before blogging, but I still have a hard time reading contemporary. If there aren’t any fantastic, supernatural or paranormal elements in the book, I’ll probably drift away from it.
Have a great week!
Hi, Ashley it’s nice to meet you! 🙂
Your blog is really kind of awesome and amazing, to only be two months old. You’ve been doing a fantastic job with it, keeping it fresh and interesting, and very enjoyable. *g*
I’ve been wanting to read Pushing The Limits, I think it’s going to be pretty good. I just got it on Netgalley and I can’t wait to start reading it SOON. You’ll definitely have to let me know whether you enjoyed it or not. I have to tell you that I really love your Bitchin’ Book Blog category. I find that it’s very helpful, for someone like myself who isn’t very design saavy or know much about WordPress. I really enjoy the fellow bloggers who aren’t afraid to be helpful in any way that they can. 🙂
I am in constant need of graphic design help. WordPress makes the basic fairly easy and that’s good since that’s all I know 🙂
Yes you must defiantly read Insurgent ASAP! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by my blog! Have a great week! I’ll be back to visit for sure!
Hi Ashley! I have yet to read Divergent, it’s still sitting on my to be read pile. I’ve heard so many good things about it though.
I think it’s really cool that blogging can broaden someone’s reading range.
And I also “discovered” Divergent this year. I don’t think I would have even known it existed before I was blogging and that would have been such a shame.
Good luck with your book giveaway! 😀
I haven’t read Pushing the Limits. I’ll have to give it a shot! I’m trying hard to expand my horizons, so it sounds like just the thing.
Happy Armchair BEA week!!
Welcome to book blogging!! Divergent is on my TBR and I can’t wait to read it, I’ve heard amazing things.
Isn’t it amazing to branch out and find new genres? 🙂 I have found so many great authors that way. 🙂