Tea Party Blogger Interview: Riya from The Teen Book Guru

So excited to have one of my best blogging buddies join me for a tea party today! Please welcome Riya from The Teen Book Guru!  Gushing about fictional guys has always been a hobby between us so here we present you a mega-edition of swooning!  Read on to find out more

Hi Riya!!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s so good to have you here, welcome to the tea party!!!!!

Thanks, Bev! My pleasure. :)

What are the best parts of blogging?  The things that put a smile on your face…

There are so many perks of being a blogger, I don’t even know where to begin. One of the biggest ones for me would probably be getting to meet so many people who love reading and books as much as me and sharing my love of books with, well, the world. I finally feel like I fit in somewhere! It’s crazy to think that I now have friends in China, the U.S., India, France... it just blows my mind away. And they’re all so sweet and enthusiastic; I love the whole blogging community. In The Teen Book Guru, I feel like I’ve found my safe haven- my second home. I can be whoever I want, say what I’m really thinking, and be upfront and stay true to what I believe in. I know it sounds cheesy, but my blog has become a monumental part of me, I don’t know what I’d do without it.

Don’t you think it’s fabulous that as well as sharing our love for books through blogging, we can swoon and discuss book boyfriends too? *eyes gleam like a crazy girl*

OMG Bev, don’t you know it! What I LOVE about reading, is that it’s an escape from reality. Whatever you’re going through in real life- the problems, stress, pressure- you can just let go off when you’re reading and immerse yourself in a different world. And in those enthralling story lands are... BOYS! And not the drooling morons in real life, but gorgeous, sweet, beguiling ones! There are so many amazing fictional guys, and if I could, I would marry all of them (the ones I like anyway). Honestly, with so many swoon-worthy male characters, why do we settle for the real ones? ;)

I’d say that when we love a guy in a book, we gush about them in our review… and then we gush about how we would love said guy too in each other’s Comments sections.  We seem to have pretty similar taste ;)  But just to confirm it, can you tell us what it is that makes you fall for a fictional guy?

Well. This is a toughie. We do have really similar taste, so how about you start, Bev? :P I guess, for me, it’s not really one type of personality that makes my toes tingle and belly hum. I could rattle off a list of ten things I look for in a guy, but that’s not what makes me fall for them. Two of the most amazing fictional guys in my eyes; Etienne (Anna and the French Kiss) and Tobias (Divergent) could not be more different. But they’re both special in their own way, which endears me to them. They’re loyal, strong, gah-or-geous and real sweethearts. However, I do have to say that I have a soft spot for bad boys. Oh, yeah. But they can’t just be plain bad. They have to have some kind of depth and sweetness inside them- that’s always what makes me fall for them. I guess, (and I’m really just clutching at straws here :P) what makes me fall for a guy is how real he is. Nobody’s perfect, and  neither are any fictional guys - although some are pretty darn close... ;)

Fictional guys seem to be so much better than ones in real life *sighs* I guess that’s why they’re in books, right?  Anyways, if you could invite any fictional boy to a tea party who would you pick?  And what would you serve him? (‘cos the second best thing after boys is food :P)

ASDKFAB;FBH’osfnakdbnaksdbjak CAN RIYA PICK ALL OF THE SHINY BOYS?

This is going to be extremely difficult! But, since I have to choose, I’d go with...

Etienne St. Clair, from Anna and the French Kiss.

I know he’s in a deep, burgeoning relationship with Anna (who I also adore), but we can still be friends! Right? *hyperventilates* Riiiighht??

Anyway, I had a huge list of guys to choose from, but I went with Etienne because I think he’d fit in the best at a tea party. He is, after all, British- complete with an accent and everything. He’s also SUPER charming and magnetic, not to mention gorgeous, so he’d be making friends in no time!

Okay onto food (another one of my passions)... I guess, since I’m a sucker for those traditional British tea parties, that I would serve him scones, tea (uh, duh), and finger sandwiches. *adopts a British accent* Doesn’t that sound simply scrumptious? ;)

What would you be your PERFECT date?  Is it inspired by a book by any chance?

Well, this is going to be slightly unrealistic and dreamy, since most of the dates I’ve read about are nothing but! One date I’ll always remember comes from The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. Gus and Hazel are in Amsterdam, dining at a beautiful, scenic restaurant. But it’s not really the setting I fell in love with; it was more the simplicity and honesty both of them shared. It was really different from anything I’d ever read, and it was really profound. So, I’m not saying my perfect date would be in a beautiful place somewhere in Europe (although, that does sound pretty good), I guess I’m saying that my ideal date would involve us getting to know each other and just discovering each other; being comfortable to talk about everything. Rose petals and french wine wouldn’t hurt either, though. :P

Are you a fan of love triangles?  If you could be the third love interest on any couple, who would you choose?

I absolutely DETEST love triangles. In my opinion (purely as a devoted reader and gusher rather than a reviewer extraordinare) I think they just add unnecessary stress and tension. They do make it slightly more interesting, but at a huge cost! Aaah I’d hate to be a third love interest on any couple, because you know, with my stunning looks and personality, the guy would OBVIOUSLY choose me (not), but I guess I would go with Daemon and Kat. They are definitely, hands-down one of my favorite YA couples, and I would give anything to be able to witness their scorching chemistry first-hand. I mean, hello, someone call the fire-fighters!

Moving on from guys (I know, it’s too hard!), what are some of your favourite YA romance/contemporary books?

This is a toughie. There are so many darn good books out there! However will I choose? *scratches imaginary stubble*

Here goes nothing:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green *sob*

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

I love all these books so hard!

To conclude, can you share with us some of your most favourite romantic YA covers?

 These four are so cute and lovely!

Thank you so much for being hear today, Riya-sweets!!!  Sending lots of cupcakes, sparkles and magic unicorns your way!
Thanks so much for having me, Bev and Jen. This was a really fun interview! x

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Isn't Riya just the sweetest, loveliest person ever?

Be sure to check out her amazing PINK blog:

What are YOUR responses to my questions?

Happy reading and gushing,

Beverley xxx