BBAW Interview Swap!
This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week! For more information, please check out the official website.
One of my favorite events of this week is the interview swap – if you have been hanging out around Chick Loves Lit for awhile, you know that last year my interview partner was the wonderful Candace of Beth Fish Reads, and this year I have another fabulous blogger to introduce you to – Megan of Leafing Through Life!
You’ve had your blog for awhile now – from what I can tell, it’s almost your 3 year blogoversary! What made you start a blog?
Yup, Leafing Through Life will be three in October. Three! I started it then because I’d just returned home from Boston where I’d been getting by working at a Borders store. I didn’t have a job at home yet, so I had a lot of time on my hands, and I missed the bookish companionship I’d been surrounded by at my job. I was still a new college grad, and I missed writing, and I loved reading. I’d seen a book blog or two and thought they were an isolated phenomenon, but I also thought it seemed like a fun challenge to attempt to review everything I read. Little did I know that people would read the reviews and that I’d soon be a small part of a burgeoning community of book loving bloggers!
Does anyone in your real life know about your blog? Have you met any bloggers or authors in real life?
Quite a few people in my life know that I have a book blog, but not many know the address. For some reason I feel like I couldn’t be totally myself if everybody I knew in real life was reading, like I would censor myself in certain ways without really intending to. It’s something I want to be all mine, and I’m loathe to share it with anyone but my closest family and friends.
I had never met any authors or bloggers in real life until this past May when I had the privilege of attending BEA and Book Blogger Convention. I met a ton of bloggers that I love and admire, and I was surprised at how at ease I was with everyone right off the bat. It really was exactly like getting together with people you’ve known for a long time instead of meeting them for the first time. It was so much fun, and I hope I get the chance to do it again!
When you enter a library or bookstore, what section do you head to first? What genres do you wish you read more of?
Whenever I go to the bookstore, I head for the literary fiction first, with the young adult section being my next destination. I’ve been stuck on literary fiction for years, but my growing love for YA is a more recent development.
When I was younger I was really into horror and mystery/thriller genre books which I’ve kind of abandoned. Sometimes I wish that I could get back into reading more of those. I love literary fiction with its flowery prose, complex characters, and deeper themes, but I do miss the guilty pleasure of getting totally involved in a supenseful, totally plot-driven pageturner.
A person you don’t really know asks you for a book recommendation. What books would you likely recommend?
This one’s a toughie. I don’t think I could answer without asking them some questions about what sorts of books or topics they’re most interested in. I mean, a few of my favorites are A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy, After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell, and I could go on, but I’d hesitate to recommend them willy nilly to just any person not knowing what their tastes are. There’s nothing more fun than recommending a book that I’m sure someone will love, but I don’t think I could do it well without knowing them well enough to be able to guess what books they’d like.
Do you have any favorite posts from your 3 years of blogging? Any events you’ve participated in that you especially liked?
Every year I do my “best books of my reading year” post in the form of the Leafy Awards. These posts are all about me being goofy and coming up with bogus categories and commentary to honor my favorite books of the year. They’re kind of ridiculous and great fun to write. Here’s last year’s awards!
I also really loved writing this post. Whenever I’m asked a book that I particularly don’t like, I say Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. Then there was this Weekly Geeks topic that asked us whether we’d ever give a book or author we’d seriously disliked another chance, and I decided to write an open letter to Maugham.
As for events? I’ve really loved doing Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon both as a cheerleader and a reader. I wish I didn’t have a conflicting commitment on Readathon day so often, or I’d do it every time! Having an excuse to read for 24 hours and getting to spend that time hanging out with your blogging friends too makes it a really fun day!
What are your goals for your blog in the future?
It’s probably a terrible habit, but I like to keep my goals pretty small in order to keep them attainable, especially for something I do for fun in addition to all the many things I am daily expected to do. Baby steps, you know? So I would say that my major goals would be to be more consistent in my blogging and in my responding to comments, and I think I’d also like to set a goal to have produced or procured a decent banner for my blog header by, at least, next year at this time. It’s something I keep intending to do and never getting done. It’s also my intention to keep up better with my favorite blogs. It seems I let far too many days go by without leaving my favorite bloggers comments, and I want to make a better effort to show them how much I appreciate *their* efforts.
If you had to add a topic to your blog or start a new website not related to books, what would it be about?
If only I could secure some funding for my efforts, I would be happy to pursue my and my best friend’s secret fantasy of gainful employment as freelance roller coaster riders/reviewers with accompanying website and/or blog. However I fear this may be a pipe dream, so I guess I’ll have to stick with the books.
And now, for our Fun Five 
1. Describe the contents of your freezer
It’s pretty sparse at the moment. Ice cubes (of course), a pack of hamburger, a pack of salmon, a box of ancient Eggos, and some long forgotten frozen veggies. Unfortunately, there’s no ice cream at the moment, but there usually is!
2. What website do you frequent that others may not know about?
http://www.orisinal.com I like the game where you have to make the all the cats sit at the same time or make them all walk at the same time. Sure, it sounds stupid, but try it once, and you’ll see what I mean! The one where you make the monkeys catch the fruit but not the bombs isn’t too shabby either. I’m going to stop talking about this now before everyone thinks that I’m certifiable. Or maybe I’m just going to stop talking about this because I want to play the cat game. Don’t judge. 
3. What’s your favorite crayon color?
I like blue. Not dark blue. Bright *royal* blue.
4. How many times have you been on a plane or train?
Four times on a plane. Twice to Florida, once to Colorado, and once to London. I’ve been on trains quite a few times, that is, if you count subway trains. If not, then only a handful of times, once from London to Edinburgh, and, if you count them, a few times on NJ Transit trains to and from NYC.
5. Tell us about a recent vacation.
My last vacation, if you can call it that, was a long weekend get-together with my two best friends from college. We stayed at one’s house in New Jersey and ended up passing time with incredibly childish pursuits. Like playing miniature golf, seeing Despicable Me, shopping at Toys R Us, coloring and baking shrinky dinks, and playing Rock Band on the Playstation for hours. And, yes, it was *really* fun.
Megan has some great answers – I actually went and played the cat game she mentioned in her Fun Five for awhile, it’s pretty amusing Please go visit her blog today and let her know that you saw her interview – and there you will also see some of my answers to her questions!
Please go visit her blog today and let her know that you saw her interview – and there you will also see some of my answers to her questions! Happy BBAW!
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Great interview, ladies! Glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't share my blog address to many people in my life. Some family members know it but I don't think they check regularly. My husband subscribes (because I asked him to check that the subscription button was working correctly, lol). There is one in-law who has asked a couple of times but I manage to evade answering. Much for the same reason you mentioned. Maybe I will someday
Yeah that was a fun interview.
I had never heard of that game site. I do daycare, and when the kids all leave, that is one thing I do to wind down – play a couple of quick games. Its relaxing to me. I usually go to adictinggames.com but I will try this site now!
"It really was exactly like getting together with people you've known for a long time instead of meeting them for the first time."
This was my favorite thing you said, Megan! It's so true. Sorry you had problems with Maugham though. He's my absolute favorite!
Sounds like Megan and I have much in common! In addition to, well, both being named Megan, I started my book blog after leaving my job at Borders, too, and was also a recent college grad who missed my oulet in which to talk about books. Enjoyed the interview — off to check out Leafing Through Life!
Loved both the questions and the answers. And thanks for the shout-out!
I admit that I've played several orisinal games for years and I have the site bookmarked in my browser.
I get motion sick sometimes so I don't think I could be a ride reviewer.
Great inteview! I love her last 'vacation'. Sopunds like blast
I think one game I was really hooked on for a while "Patchworkz" was an orisinal game. I'm afraid to check, or I might be hooked again
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Funny that both of you live in states I used to live in. Michigan and PA. I loved the Jersey Shore (esp. Ocean City) during the short time we lived in PA!
Great job ladies! I love all these interviews.
I'm afraid to click on that website link, it sounds addicting.
Thanks for featuring Megan! I love her blog!
I am glad to see I am not the only one who doesn't share my blog with too many in my real life. I, too, feel like I would censor myself.