Book Blogger Love-A-Thon! Interview Swap!

 The short and sweet version of what a Love-A-Thon is about, here it goes: Basically it is just like a read-a-thon except for blogs! It’s a full 24 hours of commenting on new-to-you and some of your older favourite blogs, following bloggers, tweeting about awesome blog posts, and telling other bloggers just how much we love them! For a full list of the events and what time they are happening, you can check out the schedule right here.

I did my interview swap with Alyssa from Books Take You Places!
Be sure to check out her blog as she's doing Project Fairytale for February!
I commented on her answers underneath in pink!

Why did you start blogging? Any reason that you spilt your blog into personal and books?
I actually had a personal blog for a VERY short time and this was years ago when I didn't really have the time or desire to keep up with it. Years later I was in grad school and was looking through book blogs for reference and I found The Book Smugglers and just fell in love with what they were doing. It seemed like a great outlet for two things I loved: reading and writing. So I made an almost instant decision and started blogging. My first review was for Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion and I actually did a mini book trailer. Things have changed since then but I am glad I joined this awesome community!

I noticed you work in a library (very jealous!) how did you get in to that career?
For as long as I remember, I had wanted to be an English teacher. I even went as far as completing half of the EDU program in my undergrad studies. It didn't feel right and I dropped out of the program but still graduated with my Bachelor's in English (with a concentration in early literature - yay Shakespeare!) after that I was so confused and on the fence about my career. I worked part time in a library and took a whole year off and researched and thought about what I wanted and finally decided that librarianship is where my heart was. So I took my GRE on a whim, applied to Drexel - thinking I wouldn't get in as it was a dream school of mine and was SHOCKED when I got in with scholarships!! I finished the two year program in a year and 10 weeks and I couldn't be happier. I love everything about my career - just need to find that full time job now!
I love how you fell in to the career, librarianship doesn't seem to be the same in the UK as the USA! I think nowsdays a full time job is the holy grail!

I’m awful at thinking of a favourite book! Can you name your top 3 books from your childhood and from now?
From my childhood my favourites are definitely The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum, The Narnia series by C.S. Lewis and The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling! Now, as a "grown up" I have a hard time choosing so I am going to go with books I can (and have) read multiple times. My favorite series is definitely The Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier (or all books by her, really), The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey and still, The Harry Potter series.
I always go with books I've reread- Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz and Narnia are big favourites of mine!

Do you have a genre that you consistently love?
I honestly can't think of a book dubbed a "fantasy" that I haven't enjoyed. I am reading A LOT of YA now but I think it's because of the constant recommendations from fellow bloggers.


What’s your favourite part of blogging? What’s the worst part?
My favourite part has to be the community of bloggers. There is consistently someone to listen, someone to cheer you up, someone to recommend your next read, etc. I have quite honestly found some of my best friends through blogging.
The worst part is watching those less than honest or enthusiastic bloggers. I can say that reading is 100% my favourite thing to do and I blog for me and for the joy of it, not for the free books or swag. It makes me kind of sick to see some who do it for the wrong reasons. Also, a while back blogging started to feel too much like "work" and I came near to quitting. You really have to find a good balance to enjoy it as much as you can.
It is a fine line between feeling like a hobby and feeling like work especially when you have a lot on in your life but I love the community too!

Since joining the blogging world, do you find yourself picking up books you wouldn’t have read before?
I think I am going to try and pick up some contemporaries this year which I have yet to read and enjoy. I read SOME YA before but I was reading more adult fantasy. Since I started blogging I have definitely upped the YA reads!
Yes to contemporaries! I love them :)

Totally stole this one from you!: “You find yourself in front of seven identical doors, these seven doors lead to seven places: Narnia, Neverland, Wonderland, Hogwarts, Camelot, Middle Earth and Westeros. Which door do you go through? Why that door? What happens?”
This one is hard for me. I know Neverland is out, unless I could be a pirate. Wonderland might be too much weird for me. Middle Earth would be gorgeous but unless I was an Elven princess, not for me. Narnia would be amazing since I could be friends with SANTA but overall, not magical enough for me. I have issues with Camelot and Westeros because one on hand I would LOVE to live here: the wardrobe and men with SWORDS! However, I like to think of myself as a BAMF and I couldn't deal with the "man rules the roost" lifestyle. Unless I could wield my own weapon and kick butt with the boys, these two are out. That leaves us with Hogwarts and let me say YES PLEASE! This one really has excellent benefits, even with my future husband Sirius Black being dead at this time.

Check out my interview here!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx