Armchair BEA 2012 Introduction

Hey, there! I am participating in Armchair BEA this year and hopefully I will be more active instead of just a spectator. Interviews are scary. I tend to not be able to say much or give enough of an answer that describes just me. Oh well! This still sounds fun and I hope the practice is helpful!

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Introductions are very difficult for me...Hello! My name is Isabel (Do I sound overly chipper?)! I will be turning 19 in July (although some of my friends think I'm better suited to be a 5 year old). I'm studying at a community college and hope to get into the medical field in the next two or three years...or maybe I will take out loans and go experience the University Life. I don't know yet, but book blogging is something that will probably stay very constant in my life.

I have been blogging for about three years now and cannot imagine not doing so. Blogging was something I definitely never thought I would get into and I never expected to create connections with other bloggers as much as I have. I got into blogging because another book-loving friend, Wdebo, started up her own blog and wanted to share the experience with me! I figured that having a place to write my thoughts and keep track of the books that I have read would be worth creating this site. Plus it would give me a place to use the HTML coding I learned in my after school Computer class (the only thing I can use is the break and hyperlinking...Good thing it  wasn't a graded course).

2. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

Currently...I am reading Tiger's Destiny (Book 4 in the Tiger's Curse series by Colleen Houck), although I'm barely on page 2. Love this series though! I just finished Betrayal by Gregg Olsen which is a really good mystery. Favorite book this year? I usually do not read self-published books, but I am so glad I got Mad Science Institute by Sechin Tower. This book was amazing in every way. Great characters. Quirky Villains and so much fun with lab experiments gone horribly wrong. Definitely my favorite read of 2012 so far!

3. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

Umm...these are the hardest kinds of questions. I'm allergic to avocados? Only slightly. As long as I eat them in other foods then I'm alright, but by themselves it isn't good. My mouth feels all tingly and my gums hurt. Less than pleasant. I'm also a Korean Drama and Pop addict...but if you read my blog often...then you already know that. 

Whenever I get asked "What is something unique about you?" at school for the ice-breakers on the first day of class, I always talk about book blogging. That is pretty much it...I'm not much for extra-curricular activities :)

4. What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)?

Oh...is this question disguised to mean "What is unique about your blog?"? Because then I don't know what to say. I guess I will have to come up with a creative something this summer. My favorite meme to participate in is "Waiting on Wednesday" though! That is something. Goodreads is great for keeping track of the to-read pile, but "Waiting on Wednesday" really helps to remind me about the really awesome books that I will regret if I do not pick them up when they come out. Love that meme!

5. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

I don't write much other than reviews, but here are a couple that I am particularly proud of.

Mini-drama Reviews is a post I love because I talk about my Asian Drama obsessions. I give little reviews on some of my favorites. For those who watch Korean dramas especially, you may know that they all follow a sort of formula, therefore, I think it is note-worthy that I managed to say something general about each, but at the same time give my opinion on that unique drama with specifics. 

all these things I've done is one of my recently favorite reviews...mostly because this book was incredibly good. This review was easy to write with passion because of how much the book moved me. I feel like that emotion came out in my writing and gave it more dimension. Really liked that one.

6. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

Soap from Mad Science Institute. She would be even more awkward than me at introducing herself. But I would feel a whole lot more comfortable being able to relate to her!

7. What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?

HOGWARTS. I would love to go to a school where there are towers and a forest and it is dark and paintings talk to you and there are uniforms so I don't have to go through the hassle of putting an outfit together in time and having a banquet hall...and I think I would really get along with Hermione.

8. Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

 I used to love the Middle-Grade reads that crossed over to YA and now I like the YA that can start to cross over into the Adult category. I think that may be due more to me growing up a little versus blogging. I also see  myself being more and more attracted toward the classics because of all the dorky literary references that I could understand and make.

FYI: I don't usually use this many ellipses. And this turned out to be more like a book about me...well there you have it. That's meeeee!!!!