Book Blogger Month Wrap-Up

  So that's it, today is the last day of March and Book Blogger Month here at A Reading Daydreamer.  I would just like to take this chance to thank all the bloggers who took time to answer my interview questions and write wonderful guest posts.  It was a privilege to have you guys on the blog and I like to think that I have made some new blogging friends.  You all run the most amazing blogs so I hope you all keep blogging for years to come!  In no particular order, thank you to these wonderful people:

[clicking on the blogger's name will take you to their interview/guest post]

Luisa Plaja (author and blogger at Chicklish)
Ria (The Beaucoup Review)
Caitlin (The Cait Files)
Beth (Page-Turner)
Cliona (Bookster Reviews)
Jana (The Book Goddess)
Zoe (Bookhi)
Raimy (Readaraptor)
Rachel (Booktastic Reviews)
Megan (The Book Addicted Girl)
Jean (The Magic Bean Review)

I had so much fun reading all of your guest posts and interviews!  Hopefully I can have another bash at Book Blogger Month next year (although I will definitely need to improve my organisational skills!)

Happy reading and blogging,
Beverley x

Book Blogger Month: Guest Post by Jean!

 Today we have Jean from Magic Bean Review writing about the books that she would like to see adapted into films!  Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did :)

***

Hi! I'm Jean and I have been blogging over at Magic Bean Review for a few years now. I'm a widely-read 17 year old, as I like to dabble in tween and YA as well as adult books. I find when I am reading that I always imagine a film version of the book going on. It happened for The Hunger Games which went out in cinemas yesterday (and I  recommend seeing it!), but if the descriptions in a book are just so, I find it very, very easy to imagine what a film version of a book is like. If there isn't enough description it makes it a lot harder for me!

 When I first heard about Undead by Kirsty McKay, I was very intrigued. I had never read a zombie book for teens before. It was a roller coaster thrill ride of humour, scares and romance and to be honest, I do not think there is a film out there quite like this. For the Hollywood rich men it ends in a nail-biting cliffhanger, which is perfect to milk a sequel out...
 

Moving on to something at the exact same level of thrilling, is Princess by Courtney Cole. This book blew me away with how different it was to everything 

else out there. The original cover was pink and had a 'princess' lounging about in jewels, as you do, and it did not represent the drama and shockers in the book. I initially picked it up after it appeared on Amazon as a free teen Kindle book, so naturally I didn't really check out what the book was about. At first I thought it was another coming of age book but, wow... it sure isn't! I can easily see this as being one of those films that give off a much deeper message than what was previously thought. OK, so a lot of it is pretty far-fetched - but a lot of films are like that, too!

To be perfectly honest, before reading Swim the Fly by Don Calame I was so sceptical about whether I would enjoy it as it was mainly written for teenage boys - I had thought the idea and premise behind it was so original (a prime reason why I enjoy some books more than others...! If they are original and unique BOOM I love 'em). Have you heard of many dude-lit books?! Anyway, I could imagine this as one of those teen films that start off being a quiet indie classic but then receive a cult following online.... Don Calame has been a screen writer before so it really makes sense why it was so easy for me to translate words into pictures    
 

Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin was, like Princess, another book that did not prepare you for what was going to happen. Much less dramatic but just as enjoyable to read, I imagined this as being one of the first films that delved into the lives of child 

actors... A coming of age tale with a twist it was really fun to read and it was so easy to picture as a film! It even had the ending where you just wanted it to keep going, so you could find out how the characters end up a few years along the line, which happens to me a lot after watching some films!

What book(s) have you read that you just knew could so easily translate onto screen? 

***

Thank you to Jean for writing a wonderful guest post!  It was really interesting to see what books she wanted to see adapted into films. I must admit that I haven't read any of those books but I must remember to check them out, they all look brilliant!  

Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and remember to let me know what books you would like to see as films!

Happy reading,

Beverley x

Book Blogger Month: Top 5 Addictive Series by Megan!

Hi!  My name’s Megan, and I come from The Book Addicted Girl.  As the name suggests, I am a total book addict, and have been for as long as I can remember.  I set up my blog at the end of 2010, and since then have gone on to triple my pile of books to read and quadrupled the list of books I want to read.  The Book Addicted Girl is a YA book blog, and is where I get to ramble about books for as long as I like! 

But that’s enough of me rambling!  I’m here because the lovely Beverley asked me to do a post on my Top 5 Addictive Series.  After much thought, here they are…

Number One:

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

This is one we’ve all heard of, and I assume most of us have read.  The boy wizard, marked as special as the scar on his face, his destiny locked up with the evil wizard who Shall Not Be Named... Lots of people I know have put their book addiction down to this series.  Full of magic and action and mythical creatures, it is one of the coolest worlds out there – one I bet most of us would give an arm or a leg to get into.  And with the films being some of the biggest earners ever, the characters and story have reached a huge audience – hopefully getting even more people into reading!  But back to why it’s addictive…  Well.  It’s Harry Potter!  Need I say any more?

Number Two:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

When I first started reading this, I’d only read a couple of vampire series – one being, obviously, Twilight.  So I must admit, going into this I wasn’t sure what to expect.  What I got was a kick-butt lead girl, a totally swoonsworthy guy, the most amazing vampire mythology ever and a world I was fully prepared to leap into now.  Full of action, humour and witty remarks, it was just so amazingly awesome!  I read the whole series in a flash: laughing, crying and totally in love with all of the characters.  To this day, VA remains one of the few paranormal novels that have truly made me properly cry.  And then the spin off series, Bloodlines… Just as amazing!  If you haven’t read these series, I really, really recommend them!

Number Three:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Another one I’m sure most of us have heard of/read.  The film it inspired is coming out this month – YES! – and I could not be more excited about it!  The Hunger Games is set in a future world, where every year two children from each District gets taken into a barbaric game known as the Hunger Games, from which only one gets out alive…  I mean, c’mon!  I was hooked just from the synopsis.  In my review of the first book on my blog, I put: “although it’s very dark, scary, and atrocious, it was funny at times, as well as having me choke up with tears. Literally an emotional roller coaster that was so vivid it left me dizzy, overwhelmed with all I had felt.”  And the characters were all so real as well, the action just non-stop and the world so amazingly padded out.  Though, I wouldn’t actually want to be part of this world.  If I were in the Hunger Games… Yep.  I’d die!

Number Four:

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Why this one?  A single word: Jace.  Ok, that isn’t the only reason why TMI is one of the most addictive series out there.  Again, for me it’s all down to the world.  With super humans called Shadowhunters, who fight monsters, demons and various other beings, the world is magical, unique and just plain awesome!  I love the action, the snark, the witty comments, all the main characters...  And, as I said before, there’s Jace.  The most sarcastic, hilarious and hot guy out there, it’s no wonder so many of us bookish types have crushes on him!  Of course, all the other characters are wonderful too.  Jace just kind of steals the show!

Number Five:

Cherub by Robert Muchamore

This one might not be as well-known as the others, but I absolutely adore it.  Teenage spies, going on missions, with awesome gadgets?  Surely that’s everyone’s dream?!  Ok, maybe not, but I think it would be awesome!  And with so many loveable characters and awesome missions, this series never gets old for me.  The only one I have to say I wasn’t so keen on was Man Vs Beast, which is responsible for me going vegetarian...  Other than that, utterly addictive, full of action and purely awesome!  The series has finished now [ :( ] but it also has a brand new spin off series!  Yay!  As well as a prequel series: The Henderson Boys.  I just love all fo Muchamore's books!

There are my Top 5 Addictive Series.  But I feel bad not mentioning some of my other favourites, so here’s my Next 5 Addictive Series:

The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa: Faeries, other worlds, hot Princes… I’m there!

Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey: Seven hot brothers, vamps and an ace world!  Yay!

Benedict Series by Joss Stirling: Yet more hot brothers, super powers and a whole new ‘species’ of paranormal I’d love to be!

Spirit Guide Series by E.J. Stevens: Probably not as well known, but I love this series to pieces!  It’s so cute and fun and awesome! 

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz: Yes, more spies.  What can I say?  I loved this series!

Thank you so much Beverley for having me – even though I ramble a lot!  I can’t wait to see what comes up next with Book Blogger Month!

***

Thank you Megan for writing such a brilliant guest post!  Have you read the books in these series and what did you think of them?  Do you prefer books in series to stand-alone ones?  Feel free to leave your thoughts below :)

Book Blogger Month: Interview with Rachel!

I'm pleased to welcome Rachel from Booktastic Reviews to A Reading Daydreamer for the last Book Blogger Month interview!  She is a great blogger who returned to blogging in February after a short break and I am so glad she's come back because her reviews are just fabulous!  Remember to hop along to her blog after reading the interview...

Hi Rachel and welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!

Hey, Beverley! Thanks for having me! :)

What inspired you to start your own book blog?

A couple of years ago I started coming across quite a handful of book blogs. I had been a blogger long before that - just a daily blogger, really - and also, an avid reader so it got me thinking about starting one up for myself. A good friend of mine also had a book blog and she inspired and gave me the final push to making one. I started Booktastic Reviews in late 2010 and have loved it ever since!

What do you think makes Booktastic Reviews unique?
Hm. This is a hard one. I feel that all book blogs are unique because all the readers behind the blogs have different tastes and perspectives. If any of you read my blog then you'll probably be able to guess what genres I enjoy reading more and how I put my opinions across of the books I review. Does that sort-of count?

Do you participate in any memes and which one is your favourite?

I only participate in the one meme at the moment, In My Mailbox. This probably is my favourite one anyway because I love knowing what other people are reading and reviewing and I also get to meet new bloggers!

What are the best things about book blogging?

Everything! Absolutely everything about book blogging is spectacular! I love reviewing books, interviewing authors, hosting giveaways for my lovely followers and also meeting new readers - I have made loads of new friends due to my book blog!

What ambitions do you have for your blog in 2012?
More book reviews, more author interviews... more everything really, and certainly more giveaways (one coming soon)! I would also really like my blog to get some more followers and comments! :D

If you could spend the day with one author, who would you choose and why?
Ohhh... Uhmm! Really hard question, I would love to know so many authors! Right now I probably have to go with Cassandra Clare! I absolutely adore her books (all two I've read anyway, hehe) and writing style so I would just love to see what she's really like! I've actually just got the next book in her Mortal Instruments series, so I'll be reading it shortly!

What are some of your favourite books?

Ah, so many! I love the Dark Touch Novels by Amy Meredith, Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi... oh it could go on forever!

Do you think you are like any fictional characters?
Hmmm... I'm not sure! I suppose I'm quite goofy and jokey like Ron Weasley (but that's where the similarities end, haha)! Also, a little like Bex from the Gallagher Girls novels! Quite intuitive when it comes to people... but it's not like I can kill someone with a strand of uncooked spaghetti!

If you ever wrote a book someday, what do you think it would be about?
I would love to be an author someday so I would. I think it would be the best job to just disappear into a world of your own creation! I would probably write a fantasy-slash-dystopian novel, or maybe just plain fantasy. I'm quite into faeries and characters with magical powers... that sort of thing!

And finally, do you like to daydream?
Of course! That's all I ever do! :D

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS

Mac or PC:  Mac
Book or e-book:  Book
Cats or dogs:  Dogs
Early bird or night owl:  Night owl
Reading or writing:  Reading
Summer or winter: ...Both!

Thank you, Rachel!
You're welcome! Thanks again for having me, this was fun! xD

***

Isn't Rachel just lovely?  Now go along and visit her blog and don't miss out on her fab reviews and posts!

Book Blogger Month: Guest Post by Raimy!

Hi, I’m Raimy, I’ve been blogging over at Readaraptor for just over a year… you’ll find some dinosaurs in amongst the books, hope you don’t mind! I love all things YA and a few things adult. My favourite authors are Malorie Blackman, Irvine Welsh, Nick Hornby and Sara Manning. I also love music so don’t be surprised to find one or two posts about that on my blog too!

I'm going to be completely honest with you guys and share my reasoning behind starting my blog. I didn’t start my blog to talk about books, though that was obviously one of the reasons. I didn’t start my blog to get books from publishers, though it’s been argued that a lot of us bloggers do (pish posh I say to that). No I started my blog to get my confidence up, and now that I’ve been blogging for over a year I am so glad I did!

Before I started blogging I had just finished uni. I moved in with my boyfriend and could feel myself retreating into my flat, only going out when my mates dragged me out for drinks and shopping. Most of my mates were still at uni having a good time and I had started a nine to five job, I was feeling like if I didn’t start doing something other than sitting around watching the telly I’d become boring, and I could think of nothing worse.

The thought of blogging terrified me; posting stuff for everyone to see and judge me for. I’m not a shy person when you get to know me and I certainly don’t come across as shy but I’m always worrying about what people think and what people will say about me. So I wanted to see if a blog would bring me out of my shell, get me to meet new people and get more friends (obviously I love my friends but they definitely don’t share my love of reading… not many of them anyway!)

When I started blogging it was nerve-wracking. I wasn’t sure that anyone would read the blog, or like it! Then after about 5 months blogging I was invited to my first “blogger event” it was set up by a fellow blogger not a publisher and it was near my home town so I thought, why not?! I got there, really scared about it all and as soon as we all met up, there were only 5 of us so not too daunting, it was amazing, I felt so at ease and didn’t even freak out that one of the group was a published author!

I realised that I fitted in with this awesome array of people from 22 to 40, just because we all had books and blogging in common. This is something that over the past year has really helped me. I think it’s brought me out my shell and helped me make friends all over the world. I was emailing someone in California the other day, and I went to London alone for an event at the beginning of March, if you’d have told me that I’d be doing that 18 months ago I would have laughed at you!

I really enjoy blogging and I really love sharing my thoughts on books that I read but I can’t argue with the fact that the biggest thing about blogging for me is helping my confidence grow and helping me meeting new people. It’s something that I love and I wouldn’t work as hard as I do if it wasn’t for that!

After all my waffling I would like to just thank Beverley for inviting me over to chat about blogging. I don’t actively jump out and say hello to many people, I just start chatting through others usually but please feel free to follow my blog and my twitter and if you say hi I will always reply!

***

Thanks to Raimy for writing such a wonderful guest post, it was really interesting to read about her experiences with blogging and I hope you enjoyed it too!  Now hop over and check out her lovely, 'rawr-some' blog, I'm sure you'll love it :)

Here are the places where you will find Raimy:  Blog | Twitter

Book Blogger Month: Interview with Zoe!

I am so pleased to welcome Zoe from Bookhi!  She is a wonderful book blogger who writes equally wonderful reviews and her personality really shines through the posts she writes!  She has been really nice in answering my questions, so read on and find out more about the blogger behind Bookhi...

Hi Zoe, welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!

Hi Beverley, thank you so much for having me on your blog! :D

Why did you decide to start a blog and how did you come up with the name Bookhi?

I decided to start a blog for the simple reason of being influenced by others. I read other book blogs obsessively and I thought that it looked so much fun to run. And I was right! Designing my blog took a while. At first it was called 'Zoe's Books' with a picture as a bookshelf as the header. I decided to make my blog more original so I decided to think of a better name. It took a while to come up with Bookhi as I wanted it to say what the blog is about but have a welcoming and friendly touch. Lots of people have like it so far so I am sticking with it!

What are the best things about blogging?
The people. I have amazing followers, especially those who have supported my blog from the beginning. It is great to come home and talk continuously behind a screen at one of my favourite things: books. I don't know what I would do without blogging, it has taken up most of my free time but I love it.

Bookhi has been really successful so far, what do you think is unique about it?

I think everyone's blogs are unique, but the main reason for this is my personality. I try to make my posts fun and casual with the occasional (bad) joke. I am really pleased at the feedback I get back from it and I am hoping to continue on this success.

Describe your blog in five words.

Welcoming, casual, colourful, fun, and..... bookish!

What ambitions do you have for Bookhi?

I hope that one day it will become one of those 'big' blogs out there with thousands of followers and lots of awareness from authors and publishers. Of course, I am definitely satisfied at the moment! I really love blogging and recommend it to everyone. I also hope that my blog is a place of recommending books, meeting new people, discovering new things and just enjoying reading what gibberish I post. ;)

What advice would you give to newbie book blogger?

Blog whatever suits you. Don't post that way or use that template just because someone else has used it - be yourself. A blog is a brilliant way of expressing yourself and sharing your opinions. Book blogs are fab to run because there is tons of support from publishers, authors, readers and other bloggers. If you feel it isn't working out or you are just losing interest, don't force yourself to post. Take a break and you will come back better than ever. Good luck!

What books are you eagerly waiting for to be released?

Oh, TONS! I am really anticipating Emma Hearts LA by Keris Stainton, Adorkable by Sara Manning, Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari.... and lots of additions to my favourite series.

Who are your favourite authors and what genres do you enjoy reading?

I enjoy reading all different kinds of genres. I am not too keen on horror, but I am giving more books of that genre a try and they are quite good. I especially enjoy chick lit, action, adventure, romance and any book with comedy in. My favourite authors are: Sophie McKenzie, Luisa Plaja, JK Rowling, Malorie Blackman, Keris Stainton, Keren David, Cat Clarke, Jandy Nelson, Cathy Cassidy, Meg Cabot, Kathy Reichs.... we'll be here forever!

If you went camping in the Easter holidays, what book would you take with you and why?

I love camping and always take several books with me when I do! This Easter would probably be some of my review books to catch up on, or part of my ever growing TBR pile. On holidays I get a lot of reading done but I always run out of books! Luckily this year I have my beloved Kindle so I can fit lots of books in a tiny space... result!

You run a feature called Cover Crazy, do you judge a book by its cover?

I actually started CC because people judge a book by its cover - including me! Sometimes we don't realise

and just pick out a book because its cover has really stood out. I have to say though, lots of my favourite books don't have very good covers. ;)

If you could be a character in any book, who would you choose?
Hmmm... great question. Probably Hermione Granger because I would be best friends with Harry Potter! I'd have magic too, LOL! :D

And finally, do you like daydreaming?
Definitely! I drift off sometimes and daydream about everything and anything. This usually happens in a maths exam, hehe. :D

QUICK-FIRE QUESTION’S

Facebook or Twitter: I have both but Facebook all the way!
Mac or PC: I own a PC but I prefer Macs :D
Book or e-book: Er..umm... can I pick both..?!
Cats or dogs: Dogs. Sorry kitties!
Reading or writing: Ahhh, SO HARD! Reading only just...
Coffee or hot chocolate: Hot chocolate :D

Thanks very much, Zoe!
Thank YOU! Great questions, you are awesome at interviewing people XD

***

Thanks so much again to Zoe for her brilliant answers and taking part in Book Blogger Month!  I hope you are now compelled to go and visit her amazing blog Bookhi!

Book Blogger Month: Interview with Jana!

I am very sorry for not posting a lot this week :( To make up for my short absence, I would like to introduce Jana from The Book Goddess!  Her blog is really beautiful and I LOVE reading all her posts and reviews... it's a fab blog which you should definitely check out for sure :)

Hi Jana, welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!

Hi Beverley, thanks for inviting me!

When and why did you decide to start a book blog?

I started my book blog on the 1st January 2012. After a year of fangirling and stalking everyone's blogs, creating my Goodreads and Twitter, I decided to make one. Also, I had about three (failed) blogs before I decided not to give up on The Book Goddess. And their names were all embarrassingly bad. Like really, what was going on in my mind when I decided I wanted (1) Inside Every Story, (2) Weaving Words, (3) Painting Pages for the names? Not that The Book Goddess is any better, mind you :)

Which blogs still continue to inspire you?

Katie from Katie's Book Blog, Harmony's Radiant Reads, and YA Sisterhood are just among a few. Katie is just so friendly and approachable, Harmony because she's the same age as me and her blog is pure awesome. Also, the YA Sisterhood because they host great tournaments and their reviews are very helpful and funny!

What are the best and worst things about book blogging?

The best things about book blogging, is sharing your love of books with other people. At school, I've only got one friend who reads books, and book blogging has introduced me to so many great people with the same passion and love for reading! The worst thing about blogging? I would have to say that it takes a LOT of your time. It takes dedication. Especially since I'm only 15 and doing my GCSE's examinations this year. Also, the fact that everyone has this opinion and believe that new bloggers are only creating a blog just to get ARCs or free books. Seriously, it's NOT that easy.

What ambitions do you have for The Book Goddess?
Well, I didn't really set out any ambitions or whatever when I started my blog, but I do hope (and want) to continue blogging about YA books for many years. I hope that I won't give up on it, and even though that there are times when school and college will make me super busy, I hope that I'll still continue to blog. I don't want to say that I want to have lots of followers or page views, but that would be a lie, I think everyone wants that, but you do realize that you just love blogging, and talking about books, even if you've got 10, 50 or 1,000 followers.

If you could spend the day with one author, who would you choose and why?

I think everyone kinda expects the answer to be J.K Rowling, or Stephenie Meyer, but I honestly only read the first Harry Potter, and I hate Twilight. Anyway, only recently (well, about 5 months ago), I discovered Jennifer L. Armentrout who wrote the Covenant series (Half-Blood, Pure, Deity, Apollyn) and the Lux series (Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, Shadows). I just love her writing, and how she manages to make the simple plot into something that is original and fresh and HOT. She knows how to create sexual tension, and her kissing scenes are just so steamy, I needed to fan myself. She's also very friendly, and she gives up a lot of time to answer interviews (she's my first author interview actually!), and answer questions for her readers, while writing about a million books. She's got like 6 (or more) books coming out this year!

What genres do you enjoy reading and what are some of your favourite books?
I love all sorts of YA, but especially Dystopian, Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary and everything really. But a book has to be heavy on the romance for me to really enjoy it. Some of my recently favourite books are: Divergent, Obsidian, Shatter Me, Hallowed, Blood Red Road, and too many to list!

Do you think you are similar to any fictional characters?

Oh, this is hard. I think I'm quite a bit like Katy (Obsidian), Mara (Unbecoming of Mara Dyer), Clary (The Mortal Instruments series) in terms of personality.When Tris (Divergent) is being brave and selfish, then her too.

Are there any books coming out in 2012 which you are really looking forward to read?
I'm really looking forward to Insurgent (Divergent #2)! I think everyone is really looking forward to that! Also, Something Like Normal (by Trish Doller) sounds like a really funny and strong contemporary. And I can't forget about Onyx (Lux #2), I need me some Daemon! There's lots more, but I'll be here forever if I list them all! LOL

What other hobbies do you have apart from reading and blogging?
I like painting, and drawing. If I need to take my mind off something, I think playing sports really does the job, and because I want to be a graphic designer, I sometimes mess around in Photoshop and Dreamweaver.And before you ask, my social life is non-existent, with loads of school work and my GCSE's coming up! I also write YA stories when I'm bored :P

What would be your dream job?
My dream job... Umm. Even though I'm 15 (nearly 16 in April!), I'm still quite unsure of what I want to do when I'm older. I do want to be a Graphic/Web Designer and to someday work in Publishing in probably the Editorial or Design department. But someday I also want to get published and be a YA author. I love making up characters and stories in my head, so Honestly, I don't really care about the money, I just want to do something I love and enjoy!

And finally, do you like daydreaming?
YES! There are mutiple occasions where I daydreamed during Chemistry, or Maths, that I got told off by my teacher. :)

QUICK-FIRE Q’S

Facebook or Twitter: Definitely Twitter. I don't even have Facebook.
Book or e-book: Umm. I'm I allowed both? Currently, I care for my Kindle like it's my baby. So e-books.
Early bird or night owl: Night owl.
Reading or blogging: I've been a bit lazy with reading, so.. Blogging!
Tea or coffee: Coffee
Pink or purple: Purple.
Summer or winter: Summer.

Thank you Jana!
Thanks for having me, Beverley! Love interviews! :D

***

Hope you'll go along and check out Jana's blog!  It's really amazing, I bet you'll love it :) 

Book Blogger Month: Interview with Cliona!

Today, I am pleased to welcome Cliona from Bookster Reviews for a Book Blogger Month Interview!  Cliona is one of my favourite bloggers and her blog is really wonderful so make sure you pop over once you've read her brilliant answers to the questions...

Hi Cliona, welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!

Hi Beverley! It's great to be here :)

When and why did you decide to set up a blog?

I set up Bookster Reviews in November 2010. I had been re-reading all of my books, and was getting restless, and I wanted to get some book recommendations. So I went on the website of Threads by Sophia Bennett. I saw a link to The Mile Long Bookshelf, a great blog which I still love, and I went it. At the time, I had no idea what a blog was, but after reading TMLB for about a month, I figured it out and decided to set up my own! Thanks to Amber from TMLB who explained it all to me!

For anyone who still hasn’t visited your blog (although I can tell them they’re missing out!), describe Bookster Reviews in five words...
Awww thanks! Hmmm... book reviews for book lovers!

Do you participate in any memes and which one is your favourite?

I participate in two memes at the moment, on/off! They are In My Mailbox (hosted by The Story Siren) and Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish). I love both of these, but if I had to pick it would be IMM. Not only do I love to post it, I look forward to Sundays because I love to see all the fabulous books other bloggers get!

Have you interviewed any authors or bloggers?
Yes, I have interviewed three authors, Sophia Bennett, Luisa Plaja, and Ellie Daines, who all had brilliant answers to my questions!

You took a break from blogging because it didn't seem as fun as it was when you first started, what advice would you give to someone who finds themselves in the same situation?
Definitely take a break. It really helped me. I was really busy at the time, as well as being a bit bored with blogging, and it was nice to have a break and read some of my own books, with no stress of ' Oh I have to review this! What will I say?'. But now I'm back and I LOVE writing reviews again! I think it's good just to take a short break every once in a while, and get on a bit with real life!

What do you have in store for readers of your blog in the coming year?
I plan to make Bookster Reviews better than ever, posting more reviews, hopefully at least 4 a month. I also want to do more varied posts, like more interviews with authors and bloggers, and discussion posts.

Who are your favourite authors and which books are, in your opinion, the best?

Oooh there are so many! Luisa Plaja, J.K. Rowling, Darren Shan, Sophia Bennett, Sarah Webb, Robert Muchamore, Lauren Oliver, and Sara Shepard are a few! My favourite books are all of the books by the authors I mentioned, as well as Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie, Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs, the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen #1 and #2, and my all-time favourite book is The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. Amazing stuff! And loads more.

If you had the chance to meet a fictional character, who would it be?
Probably Hermione from Harry Potter. I think I' m quite like her and we would get on really well! I would especially love to be her actually - and go on all the exciting Harry Potter adventures!

Are there any books you are looking forward to read in 2012?
Tons! I'll narrow it down to 6 because otherwise we'd be here all day :) The Future of Us, The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight, Insurgent, Pandemonium and Brothers To the Death, and the one I'm probably looking forward to the most, Zom-B, Darren Shan's new series! Also, I've heard J.K. Rowling is publishing a new book! *OMG moment* It's for adults, but I'll definitely read it anyway! I'm not sure if it's released this year though or in 2013. And I want to read a lot of my own books, clear off my shelves a bit, to make room for new books!!!

What would you like to be when you are older?

I would love to do something in publishing! Like an editor, or the person who decided what books should be published, or advertising the book would all be great! Or maybe a journalist, because I love writing, just not fiction... :) Unlike most readers actually! I wouldn't mind being a nurse, doctor or a policewoman either. A doctor or nurse would be great because biology is really interesting and you could save lives! And, c'mon, a policewoman would be AWESOME. Fighting crime, saving lives - it sounds like something out of my favourite books! Actually, you know what else would be cool? An FBI agent, or a secret spy or a detective! Like in Criminal Minds! Sorry, I watch too much TV :) And clearly have no idea what direction my life is going in!

And finally, do you like to read and daydream?
All the time! But not at the same time! Because then I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my books, and we couldn't have that happening now, could we? :)

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS

Book or e-book: Book

Cats or dogs: Dogs

Cathy Cassidy or Cathy Hopkins: Cathy...eh...oh I can't pick!

Sophia Bennett or Sophie McKenzie: Sophia Bennett

Threads or The Look: They're both amazing, but probably Threads!

Reading or writing: Reading

Thank you, Cliona!

Thanks so much for having me at A Reading Daydreamer, Beverley!

***

Thanks again to Cliona for participating in Book Blogger Month and I hope you enjoyed reading this interview :)  Now, I'll count to three and you can go over to Bookster Reviews - one... two... three...



Book Blogger Month Guest Post: Books that Keep You Turning the Pages by Beth

  Hi! Thank you so much Beverley for having me on A Reading Daydreamer!! I love LOVE this blog! My names Beth and I'm from teenage book blog Page-turner.  I started Page-turner in July 2011, but I started day to day blogging around September :-) I love books (x100000!) blogging, reading, writing....anything bookish! I also love watching TV and going on the computer. :) Today I'm going to guest post about a few books that I loved and “kept me turning the pages!” I hope you enjoy the post!..

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I love LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE The Hunger Games! The Hunger games are set in a dark vision of the near future were “The Capitol”, to make sure there are no up-risings, force one girl and one boy from each (12) participate in a deadly game called “The Hunger Games” were the 24 contestants have to fight to the death in an arena. The last person standing (alive..) wins.

Yes. I it gave me nightmares.

Page-turneromiter: 10/10!

:-)

Torn by Cat Clarke

This was such a sad book,...that I loved! Torn is about a teenager called Alice who goes on a trip with her whole class. She is in a room with her best friend, Rae the moody-emo, Polly the social out-cast and Tara, the queen of mean, who is the most popular girl in school. I don't want to reveal much...but this defiantly kept me turning the pages!!!

Page-turneromiter: 9.5/10

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

I don't think this book had any jaw-dropping surprises, but it was a really addictive, page turner-ish read! I also loved the awesome story line. :) The Future of Us is about two teenagers, Emma and Josh set in 1996. Only half the students in there school had ever used the internet, and Facebook had not been invented it. However Emma and Josh discover Facebook (8 years before it was invented) and can see themselves, 15 years in the future.....

Page-turneromiter: 8.5/10

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Ahh! I had been wanting to read this book for ages, and when I did, it completely lived up to my expectations! It was a chilling, scary, absolute page turner! Fracture is about teenager, Delaney who falls into the icy waters of a Maine Lake by her friend, by then her heart has stopped beating. But then somehow, Delaney wakes up, completely fine....... or is she?

Page-turneromiter: 9.5/10

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I loved loved LOVED this book. I literally couldn't put it down! Thirteen Reasons Why is told from the view point of Clay Jenson, a teenage boy who was a friend of Hannah Baker, his fellow class mate who had committed suicide. I don't think I'll ever forget this book, and when people ask me for recommendations, this is at the top of my list!

Page-turneromiter: 10/10

Virals by Kathy Reichs

This book was amazing!! When I first picked it up in the bookshop, I thought this would be a sci-fi novel that would be hard to understand and I was considering not getting it.....that would have been one of the biggest regrets! :) Virals is about 4 teenagers; Tory, Hi, Shelton and Ben. After rescuing a diseased dog from an experiment chamber, something happens to them that will change there lives forever....

This was such an awesome book!

Page-turneromiter: 9.5/10

Thank you so much Beverley for letting me on her amazing blog!!

Happy reading!,

Beth x



***

Thanks to Beth for such a wonderful guest post!  I am so happy to have been able to invite Beth to A Reading Daydreamer again (you might remember the interview she did, click HERE to read it!) as she runs an amazing blog!  Feel free to leave some comments... Have you read these books?  What did you think of them?  I am currently reading Torn and it really does keep me turning the pages and The Future of Us is sitting in the pile on my floor, waiting for its turn to be read!  But the other books look just as good, I feel the need to visit the bookshop...