Armchair BEA Day 1: Introductions First

This week is the annual BookExpo America in New York City. I’m thrilled to be taking part in Armchair BEA which is a virtual conference for book bloggers who can’t attend the actual event.

Armchair BEA looks like a lot of fun with daily posts, twitter parties, giveaways and other things going on.

Today’s daily post is for participants to answer five questions from a list of ten so that everyone can get to know each other a little better.

Here’s my answers so you can learn a little more about me 🙂

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

I’m Kate. I’m twenty-four and I’m from Queensland, Australia. I love it here. I’ve lived in many states but Queensland is my favourite. I’m currently studying at university to become a librarian. I’ve always loved books but never really considered making them a part of my career.

I’ve only been blogging a few months. I’m fairly active on goodreads and often have seen people’s blogs and thought that it’s something I could do to better manage what I’m reading. I read a lot. I’ve found that I really enjoy writing up my reviews and memes. I’ve had personal blogs since I was 13 and always seemed to lose interest or motivation or both within the first week but I have a feeling that this time it will be different.

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

I’m currently reading a few novels. I’m one of those people who often have more than one book on the go at any time. There’s one in my car, one in my bag, one next to my bed, a few next to the couch. And I’m one of those people who prefer certain genres depending on my current mood.

Out of the ones I’m currently reading, I’m almost finished with Marked by PC and Kristen Cast. 

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

I love to cook. Baking is my favourite – especially cookies/biscuits and cakes. I read as many recipe books as I do fiction and subscribe to a few food magazines. I love the accomplished feeling that I get when I finish making a dish – it’s nearly as good as the feeling when you’ve finished reading a good book.

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

This is so very hard to choose. And unfortunately I’m a little indecisive. My answer to this changes depending on what I’ve just read.

But I think I’d have to pick Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. He’s just such an interesting person. And he seems very patient and like my thousands of questions about magic and the world he inhabits wouldn’t irritate him. I also wonder what he’d wear to a dinner with a muggle fan – his fashion sense is kind of bizarre.

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

Yes and no. I have always read a lot of YA fiction but I think I’m reading more than I used to. And I’m trying to structure how I read differently. Trying to get some sort of balance between all the paranormal books and the realistic fiction.

I think what I’ve really noticed is that how I read has changed. These days I have a notebook with me to jot down notes or quotes whilst I’m reading. If I’m reading on my kindle then I have a number of coloured post-it notes on the inside of my cover. Pink ones are for notes about characters, blue ones for plot and yellow ones for other. I didn’t think that blogging would change how I read but it has and I think it’s for the better. I am remembering details better and really thinking about characters and plot rather than just finishing a book and putting it on my shelves.

 

Thanks for reading my answers. 🙂

33 Comments

  1. So glad to see an international blogger participating in Armchair BEA! I hope you stick with this blog because it looks like a good one!

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    • Hello back!
      I am hopeless with the savoury baked goods. Bread in particular. It just never rises right or has the right texture. This is why I stay with sweets 🙂

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    • I’m good at having the pen handy but when it’s a really good story I get so engrossed with the characters and the plot that before I know it I’ve finished the novel and not made a single note!

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  8. Yay! A fellow baker!

    I take notes obsessedly too! If I’m using an e-reader I always highlight the quote or phrase and do notes that way. With regular books I use post-its or a notepad. I’ve also made notes in my phone if I didn’t have something handy to write on.

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    • I’ve never thought of using the highlighting tool and making notes actually on the e-reader. That makes perfect sense! Thanks. I’ll do that from now on 😀

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      • It makes it a lot easier to note things! That way I don’t have to go as detailed. I can just highlight what I want or add a comment if needed. So much easier!

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    • I’m from the Gold Coast but study in Brisbane so I’m up there every second day or so. It’s great that you had a fantastic time 🙂 I’m one of those people where if I love something or somewhere then I really want everyone else to as well. 🙂

      Reply

  10. I would adore having a meal with Albus. I always thought there was so much more to know about him and having Rowling out him after his death has always fascinated me.

    Hope you enjoy your week.

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  15. If you enjoy baking, you should review some of your favorite cookbooks for Weekend Cooking some time! That’s a meme where a bunch of us book bloggers take a break to blog about food. It’s hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

    It’s lovely to meet you and have fun with Armchair BEA this week!

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    • I’ve always found it to be the other way around – baking is less precise. More about how something feels than exactly following a recipe. And also, with baking, you nearly always need to get in and get your hands dirty 😛

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    • I think I could have done with a little more guidance too. When I finished high school I had no idea what to do so I did psychology and got my degree in that. Then I completed a graduate diploma in secondary education and last year I was teaching mathematics to a bunch of year 11 and 12 students.

      I’ve only just started my new course this year and have a long way to go yet but I am enjoying it and I can see it as something that I’ll hopefully enjoy as a lifelong career.

      Thanks for dropping by 🙂 Nice to meet you too.

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  18. I adore baking! I’m not so great with cooking (my flavor palate is picky and limited haha) but with sugars, the world is so big! Also, I love your choice of Dumbledore, he’d be so interesting to dine with! I would have to restrain from yanking his beard, I admit…

    Happy Armchair BEA, and lovely to meet you!
    My Armchair BEA Intro

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    • Haha… I imagine that Dumbledore would have as many people trying to tug his beard as a department store Santa… poor guys 😛

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  19. Hey, a fellow baker in my rare spare time here. lol

    Like you my reading changes have changed little if any. I do come across books I might not have otherwise been introduced to thanks to fellow bloggers, so that’s cool.

    Too, I also have more than one book being read at a time.

    See you around the blogs!

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  20. I enjoyed your Introduction post! I also read genres based on my mood, and have multiple books going at any given time, and carry them everywhere!

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    • And that’s one of the reasons I got an ereader… my bag couldn’t handle carrying around so many books all the time 😛

      Thanks for stopping by 🙂

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      • Kate,

        You know, I’ve always been partial to paper books, and didn’t think I’d enjoy an e-reader, but my hubby got me one earlier this year, and I loved it when we travel for that very reason! 🙂

        Muzette

        Reply

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