Book Blogger Appreciation Week - Day 2 - Interview Swap!

It's everyone's favorite part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week - the interview swap!

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Cecelia, who blogs at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia. Cecelia lives in Washington, DC, where she works for a nonprofit by day, and writes superstar blog posts by night. She regularly reviews YA, middle grade, fantasy and sci-fi, with an occasional adventure into food books. I have already added 6 books to my TBR list in the 30 minutes I've spent browsing her blog before I wrote this post. SIX. She is going to be trouble for me, I can tell.

What do you enjoy most about blogging?




I love that moment when someone comments on your blog post and says they felt/thought/saw the same exact thing that you did. I don't have many bookworms to talk to in my real life, so a virtual community of readers with the same taste in reading is a dream come true. Also, books! I know more about them than ever before, and that's pretty freaking sweet.



What are some of your biggest challenges in blogging?



The biggest challenge for me is finding the time - balancing my full-time job, friends, family, other interests, reading life, and still putting in the hours to create blog posts. Other challenges seem to pale in comparison to that one.





If you could put any two fictional characters in a room together, who would they be and why?



Oh, good question. I tend to fall in love with characters who have an adventurous spirit and make me laugh aloud (I should clarify that I have a very bizarre sense of humor at times). I think I'd have to put Suzy Turquoise Blue from Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series and Nick from Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon in that room. Why? Because something hilarious, dangerous and combustible would probably occur (I couldn't speculate on what that would be... but... awesome!).





What one book can you remember reading as a child that helped you fall in love with reading?



I can't remember any one book, but that's because I've loved reading since before my earliest memories. My mother tells me that I adored being read to as a toddler. Probably it was a picture book? And if we're voting for favorite picture books, I adored (and still love) A Christmas Card for Mr. McFizz by Obren Bokich.





What book or books have you read that everyone else just LOVED, but you couldn’t stand?



*rueful laugh* Oh, this list is long - I'll just name a couple. I couldn't like Lauren Oliver's Delirium, and that book was a BIG DEAL in the YA world two years ago. I also thought Melissa Marr's Ink Exchange was fairly terrible. To round that out, I should tell you that I've liked books by both authors before/since, so it's not that I can't stand the authors. Sometimes books just push the wrong buttons, you know?




(This last question I stole directly from Cecelia's interview with me - I liked it so much I made her answer it, too!)


Give me your best: one book I must read, one book blog I must visit, and one thing I should never say to strangers.





You MUST read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, if you haven't already. It's beautiful and bittersweet and should widen your world.

One blog I am consistently impressed by is Tia's Book Musings. Tia writes one thoughtful review after another, and across a very wide range of genres. And she's got spot-on taste.

One thing you shouldn't say to strangers: "I didn't take my meds today!"




Cecelia, thanks so much for chatting with us today! It's been a pleasure to get to know you. Make sure you stop by The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia to read my interview as well! And don't forget to check out LOTS more interview swaps at the Book Blogger Appreciation Week website.