Ask the Blogger: Sam from Literary Lover

Ask the Blogger

This time on Ask the Blogger...

I'll be interviewing Sam from Literary Lover.

Who is Sam?

Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr

HEYO! I'm Sam, a 15 year old book blogger, and Throne of Glass enthusiast! 

I'm also a competition dancer and runner (but I prefer dance). I looove science and social studies and can get way to into using the CAPS LOCK button and emojis. I would say I'm a pretty energetic person but I'm also very indecisive. (Don't take me out to dinner. It'll take me hours to decide what I want to eat.) I bring a book or two (hey, you gotta have backup for when you finish!) everywhere I go & I will read literally anywhere. Walking in Universal Studios? YUP. Waiting in line for a ride in Disney? Done it. While getting an EEG? Actually no, they wouldn't let me but I was holding the book until my mom took it from me. 

Note: None of these pictures are owned by me. All rights go to the owners.

How did you get into blogging?
I always loved books and started out as a Divergent fan page on Instagram. I had started to review books on my Instagram and joined Goodreads in 2014, then I started to discover book blogs. I decided I would rather talk about books on a real blog then my Instagram.

What was your favorite series as a kid?
The Magic Treehouse series! 

What's your favorite series now?
Ooh thats hard. I am very indecisive so, Throne of Glass, Mara Dyer, and Vampire Academy are all tied for first. 

What's your favorite thing to do in your downtime?
Read, or watch Netflix. 

Who is your OTP?
Another hard one. My top OTP is Meredith and Derek from Grey's Anatomy, but Sloane and James from The Program are my top OTP from a book. 

What show do you fangirl over the most?
GREYS ANATOMY. I get way too excited about Grey’s Anatomy, and talk about it way too much. 

Who is the most swoonworthy book guy?

Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses, for me at least. Although I can think of many other swoon worthy guys from romance novels, I’ll stick with Rhys. 

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what two items would you take with you?
I was literally thinking of this last night haha. Probably a yacht and an emergency survival kit. 

If you were hosting a dinner party for four, who would you invite? (Meaning you can invite three people because one of the four is you!)
If they have to be real people: Sarah J. Maas, Michelle Hodkin, and Alexandra Bracken

If they could be fictional: Noah Shaw, Rhysand (I am clearly very obsessed with SJM/Rhysand) and Lexie Grey. 

Would you rather dance the rest of your life or run the rest of your life?
Dance, definitely. Running is so hard for me and it gives me really bad shin splints. Plus, I enjoy dance, I hate running.  

Thank you, Sam!

Ask the Blogger: Asti from Oh, the Books!

Ask the Blogger

This time on Ask the Blogger...
I'll be interviewing Asti co-blogger on Oh, the Books!
Who is Asti?



Twitter / Instagram

I attended Kingston University to pursue a Publishing MA in 2014.
Prior to deciding to pursue publishing as a career, I wanted to work in elementary education as a reading specialist.
I completed numerous work placements with publishing companieswhile in London, including Random House Children’s Publishers, Little, Brown, Bloomsbury Children’s and The Orion Publishing Group.
I started a book blog, A Bookish Heart, on 2 March 2013 where I reviewed books, led interesting bookish discussions, moderated games based off of books I have read and shared book-related finds. I still do all of that stuff, but on this group blog instead.
The only gifts I tend to request for holidays or birthdays are clothes and (you guessed it) books.
Even when I moved to London and knew I might have to leave after a year there, I still acquired over 80 books. It made moving back to the States just a little more difficult than I wanted.
I tend to carry a book with me everywhere I go. (My number one criteria for buying a purse is whether or not I can fit a book inside it.)

Note: I do not own any of these images. All rights go to their respective owners.

Why did you start book blogging?
My initial motivation behind book blogging is much more selfish than everyone else’s. Most bloggers start blogging because they love books and want to be in a community where they can discuss their favorite books, characters, authors, etc. Me though? I started my book blog because I thought it would help me get a job in the publishing industry. Right before I started my original book blog, A Bookish Heart, I had got accepted into a Publishing MA program in London and decided I wanted to do something else in my spare time to help flesh out my resume and book blogging ended up being that thing. (But hey, I may have started my blog so it would look good on my resume, but I kept it because I love the community. Book lovers for the win!)

Who are your top ten book characters? 

Ten? So many! Let’s see here… In no particular order: 

1. Buruu from The Lotus Wars by Jay Kristoff.
2. Carswell Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
3. Iko from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
4. The Darkling from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
5. Zuzana from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
6. August Pullman from Wonder by R.J. Palacio
7. Death from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
8. Sirius Black from The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
9. Sybella from Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
10. Victor Vale from Vicious by V.E. Schwab

What's the coolest thing that has happened to you because of blogging?

Hm… I don’t know if anything cool has happened to me because of blogging, but the one thing that has been my favorite thing about blogging is the fact that it’s allowed me to make so many friends around the world. It was really exciting that when I went to London for my Publishing MA degree, I already had a small group of friends there that I knew through blogging who were willing to take me in and invite me out to their bookish gatherings. And just recently, being back in the States, I was able to drive over and spend the day with a friend who I built a connection with because of blogging. Blogging is just amazing for the connections it provides. It’s my favorite thing about it, and the thing I’d consider the coolest.

How did you find your co-blogger(s)? 

My co-blogger Kelley and I originally met when we were running our separate solo blogs, A Bookish Heart (mine) and Another Novel Read (Kelley’s). I remember we initally bonded over the fact that for St. Patrick’s Day we each wrote a post highlighting our favorite green book covers (we thought it was a fun coincidence) and then between commenting on each other’s blogs and exchanging regular emails, we just became really close. Once I moved to London to pursue my Publishing MA and my ability to blog regularly suffered, I brought up the idea of co-blogging with Kelley and she (eventually) agreed to give it a go. I think the fact that we were already good friends and had similar content/readership ensured that our co-blogging experience would be a smooth one, and I haven’t regretted the choice a single day since. 

If you could have dinner with two authors and three book characters, who would you choose and why?

What a good question! Now, I think most people would automatically assume I’d choose Patrick Ness because he’s my favorite author, but I actually think I’d go with Jay Kristoff and Maggie Stiefvater. Why? Because they seem like a lot of fun! And character-wise would be similar: Carswell Thorne, Zuzana, and Buruu – three characters who have never failed to make me smile. I’m not the most outgoing and social person in the world, so I would want fun characters who can make me laugh at a dinner party and I think with these five there’s no way my dinner could do wrong.

Who is your OTP? (Other than you and Dave, of course.)

I don’t really feel like I have one! (Well, of course me and Dave, as you said ;)) Maybe Cress and Carswell Thorne? I mean, part of me wants Carswell for myself, but I really did love those two characters together in Cress. Maybe because Cress reminded me of myself in some ways?

Which book boy is the most swoon-worthy? 

CARSWELL THORNE! (I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I sort of love him.) He’s the one smooth-talking guy in YA that I have completely fallen for. Dorky, has a great heart, and just a bit of a fail. In other words, my kind of guy. ;)

What's your favorite TV show?

Oh gosh, I’m a reality TV junkie and not ashamed to admit it. If I had to choose ONE favorite TV show, I’d say it’s MTV The Challenge. I absolutely love reality TV competitions and I’ve been watching The Challenge (called Road Rules vs. Real World back in the day!) since I was a teen and I don’t know, it just never fails to get me involved every season. I love that the same reality stars get sucked into participating year after year, and it’s fun trying to root for your team to make it until the very end.

What's your favorite movie?

I’m going to say Lord of the Rings. That trilogy holds a special place in my heart. I was obsessed with it as a teen, to the point where I even tried learning Elvish, and yeah. I’m all about those hobbits, dwarves, elves, and men. (And Gandalf. Gotta love the G-man.)

If you could un-read one book, which would you read again?

THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS SERIES. Okay, it wasn’t the most absolute horrible series in the world by any means, I know there’s readers out there who like it, but I struggled so hard reading it and almost refused to give Stiefvater another chance after forcing myself through that series (I’m glad I did though because I loved The Raven Boys). I just found the characters ridiculous, the plot silly, and could not get into it whatsoever. Meh.

How do you create your features? 

I don’t have a secret to creating my blog features! Every once in a while inspiration just strikes, and I run with it! Not all my ideas work out, and some I only use sporadically, but I like having a variety of features in my toolbox. At least one of them will get me excited about blogging when I’m running low on energy.

White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate?

Milk chocolate for the win. Or, even better, milk chocolate with caramel inside. Mmmm….

What's the funniest thing has happened to you when drunk?

Haha, I don’t get drunk THAT often to have too many crazy stories, and when I do get drunk I usually just dance, dance, dance and not much else, so I really don’t have any funny stories. >.<

What's the cheesy pick-up line you've heard?

Nobody uses pick-up lines on me! I’m always the one doing the work when it comes to relationships!

Thank you, Asti!

Ask the Blogger: Lauren from Bookmark Lit

Ask the Blogger

This time on Ask the Blogger...

I'll be interviewing Lauren owner of Bookmark Lit.

Who is Lauren?

Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Tumblr

Hello! My name is Lauren and I’m obviously the creator and updater of Bookmark Lit. I graduated from a small business college in 2013 with a Marketing degree. I minored in Literary & Cultural Studies and Sociology. I spend my days at a small recruiting firm in Connecticut, working on their marketing, account management, and recruiting. I live with my boyfriend Chris and we’ve been together since 2012. He doesn’t read nearly as much as me, but he’s been going crazy with audiobooks while he works. We have an apartment full of Lego and young adult books, so clearly us 23 year olds have no intentions of growingup any time soon! My ultimate dream would be to go back to school for a Master’s/PhD to become a professor. I love cultural studies and gender studies and would kill to teach those subjects at a college level. I love the Carolina Panthers more than anything in the world. I can’t explain how crazy I get when I watch them play; I inherited my football insanity from both of my parents. I scream, swear, cheer, and jump off the couch constantly. My overall mood from September through January depends solely on the Panthers’ record. I love drinking a coffee while I read in bed, or lounging outside with a slurpee and a book. I love the TV show Friends more than anyone. No really, I do, don’t even try to challenge it. I’ve gone through a DVD boxed set already because I watched the discs too much. I used to sneak out into the living room while my mom watched the show and it was WAY too inappropriate for my eight year old self.

NOTE: I do not own any of the photos. All rights go to their respective owners. 

​​Why did you start book blogging?

I started many blogs in the past but none of them stuck. I wasn't sure what I wanted to blog about, but always had a weird draw towards blogging. I tried lifestyle, fashion, beauty... none of it was really anything I was interested in. When I graduated college, I started reading again like crazy. I was finishing Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and started to look at reviews on Goodreads. I kept seeing people link to their blogs and it hit me that book blogging was a thing I could do and would never lose interest in. A few months later, I started up Bookmark Lit!

What's the best thing that happened to you because of blogging?

I think going to BEA and meeting bloggers in person was pretty amazing. We only went for one day, but I was able to meet so many online friends and spend time with them in real life. Finding people that you have so much in common with is such a great feeling. Otherwise, I just think the whole community in general is so much fun and welcoming.

What are your top ten favorite series?

Oh jeez! I'm really bad at finishing series, but here are my favorites that I've read. Honestly, some are more guilty pleasure reads from high school, but they totally count, right?! These are in no particular order!

1. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
2. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
3. Private by Kate Brian - I technically have two books left to read, but I know this will always be one of my faves
4. Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
5. Hundred Oaks by Miranda Kenneally - still ongoing too! Love these companions
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
7. A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy by Libba Bray
8. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
9. Shadowlands trilogy by Kate Brian
10. HARRY POTTER.... but that goes without saying.

Where's your favorite place to read? 

My favorite place to read during the summer is in the pool. I've been doing it since I was old enough to know how to read, so I'm an absolute pro at not dropping my book in the water. I love walking around the water with my book in my hands. I also love reading in bed, on my porch, and on the beach (even though I'm not a big beach fan in general!)

What's one book that has changed your life?

Hmm. Aside from Before I Fall getting me into blogging, I have a whole post of these books that inspired me to DO something: http://bookmarklit.net/2015/04/14/top-ten-tuesdays-36-inspiration/ 

What book-turned-movie/show is your favorite? 

I loved the way The Fault in Our Stars was adapted. I think it was incredibly well-done and emotional. I cried for the last half hour straight, probably. For TV shows, I ENJOY the Pretty Little Liars show... but it's essentially nothing like the books at this point. I can barely consider it an adaptation!

Would you rather meet your favorite character or meet your favorite author? 

I feel like a weird bookworm for not really having a favorite character. I'd love to meet plenty of them, but I'm not obsessed with anyone like a lot of people are! I'm sure my day will come for that. So, by default, I'd say my favorite author. At this point I have quite a few of these... but I think the one I'd genuinely most like to meet would be Kieran Scott, aka Kate Brian. I've loved all of her books that I've read and she helped pull me out of countless reading slumps. Again, though, JK Rowling is a given, right?

When you're not reading, what can people find you doing?

My boyfriend and I collect and build Lego. We make mostly our own creations and art, but we also build and collect sets. We have a local group we're in and it's a lot of fun! Otherwise I've been getting back into binging Netflix a little bit, which is amazing. You can find me doing those things, or doing absolutely nothing on my butt on the couch. 

Would you rather be able to read only one book whole for the rest of your life or read only the first lines of millions?

That's tough! I'd have to say one book. Any of the Harry Potter books, probably. I don't think I could get sick of them!

What three things would you bring to a deserted island? 

My boyfriend for someone to talk to and hang out with, lots and lots of food, and probably as many books as the rule-makers would allow me to bring :)

Thank you, Lauren!