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| Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads |
Today is Day One of Armchair BEA. This is my second time participating and
I’m very excited – last year was so much fun! Day One is all about introductions
and getting to know fellow book bloggers. So here is a little bit 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?
My
name is Kristin and I am an avid reader. I am fortunate to come from a
family of readers where we always got books as gifts – we got books at
Christmas, for our birthdays, for good report cards, and we even got a
book on the smaller holidays such as Halloween, Valentines Day, and
Easter. I also happen to be married to an avid reader, so it’s not
surprising to find us sitting on the porch reading or heading out to the
bookstore for some new books on the weekends. We have a chocolate lab
named Maddie that loves to sit with us while we read – she loves
sniffing the books, so old books and library books are her favorites
because they have great smells!
I started blogging just a little over three years ago. I stumbled onto some book
blogs while playing around on the internet and decided I would give it a
go – I didn’t even tell anyone about it for a while until I got it
going. Going into it, I had no idea of the rewards I would get from
blogging – the community I now feel part of, the book recommendations I
come across from visiting other books (my tbr list is longer than it
ever was!), the review requests that I get from
authors/publishers/publicists.I love sharing my thoughts on the books I read and I love reading others thoughts on the same books.
Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA?
What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously
participated, what drew you to the event?
Yes, I participated for the first time last year. I found it to be fun, came across lots of new blogs and picked up some great tips and tidbits relating to book blogging. I’m hoping this year will be more of the same!
What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?
Right now I am reading Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller, and listening to 3 audios – Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir (in car), Come Home by Lisa Scottoline (on iPod – listen while I walk), and Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich (in house – listen while cleaning, working on computer).
My favorite read (so far) of 2013 is a tie between The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak and The House Girl by Tara Conklin. (Click on titles to read my reviews.)
Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or
something special about your current location. Feel free to share
pictures.
I am blogging from Pearl River, NY, a small town in Rockland County about 40 minutes north of NYC. I live in a house that is 100 years old – it has a stone foundation from the rocks that give Rockland County it’s name.
My town has the 2nd biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York State, and being 4 houses from the parade route, we have a big shin-dig for it.
What is your favorite part about the book blogging community?
I love the virtual
friendships that I have made through blogging. It’s so nice to have an audience
geared to this obsession with books that we all have. I’ve also found
that book bloggers are extremely helpful – all you need to do is put a
question out there and you will get responses.
I recently jumped on the twitter bandwagon and love all the back and forth that goes on there amongst the book bloggers – it’s a way to get to know each other a little better. In fact, I recently found that a few of the bloggers I interact with all have Fitbits, and so now we are all Fitbit friends, encouraging each other to get those 10,000 steps in each day! If you’re on fitbit, let me know!
Thanks for taking the time to get to
know me a little. I’m really looking forward to all of the Armchair BEA
festivities and getting to know everyone who is participating.
I participated for the first time last year too.
Yay for the 2nd timers!!! It's such a fun week and I love getting to know everyone!
Hey!
I love your layout and design! Cute little banner you have there!
My oh my that's A LOT of reading challeneges! Good luck to you!
Also, can you adopt me into your family… books as gifts would be HEAVEN!
Ashley @ My Two Cents
Thanks…I can't take credit for it though – it was one of those free layout designs that I came across when I first started blogging.
I love doing all the reading challenges – it pushes me to read all types of books.
I now only give books to my nieces and nephews for their birthdays (or giftcards to the bookstore once they reach 10)…they seem to enjoy them and I love picking out books for each of them.
2nd timer too. I also liked a lot The Winter Palace
I can't wait until the next one comes out!
Hi Kristin,
I've been visiting your blog for some time now, and it's good to know more about you! Book lovers can soooo relate to one another. We are a family of readers too.
I know…I've been to your blog a bunch of times, too but it's great to get to know you even better. And yes, we book lovers definitely can relate to each other.
You are married to a reader! That is so awesome, I hope you know how very lucky you are 🙂 (I'm sure you do!)
Thanks for the reminder about House Girl, I have to put that on my list!
Have a great ABEA!
I am very lucky…while we don't read the same books, it's nice to be able to just chill together while reading or have a nice outing to a bookstore…and he understands my obsession with buying books which is even better!!!
You have to read The House Girl – so good!
I have both those books, The Winter Palace and The House Girl, on my shelf. Glad to hear you loved them so much, I should move them a bit higher up the TBR mountain!
My husband doesn't read much, or rather, he doesn't read fiction, he reads textbooks (I know, weird huh?). I always wish he did read fiction so I could chat to him about books etc., but I'm also glad he doesn't because then we're not arguing over books and I don't have to lend him mine! (he has this habit that drives me nuts of excessively highlighting and underlying in his books!)
Happy Armchair BEA week! This is my first time!
My husband and I do not read the same books, just share the love of reading which is fine with me! And he's pretty supportive of my blogging, too!
Hope you enjoy the week – it's so much fun!
Thank you for stopping by – I wanted to be sure to answer your question about Grad School & the MLIS degree. I've finished 4 classes (8 to go) and while they are challenging, I am really enjoying them. It has been very helpful to work in a library at the same time (I got the job just after I started school)as I can apply what I am learning directly, and I work with some very supportive people who are all too ready to help me out when needed. It was a difficult transition for me – I earned my bachelor's nearly 15 years ago, and a lot has changed… but when it feels right, it feels right and I know I'm on the right track now. I commend you for working with Literacy Volunteers! That has got to be hard work, but very rewarding as well.
St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays! I love throwing big shin digs too – though we'd have to drive to get to a parade! Very nice to meet you!
Thank so much for answering my questions about the MLIS degree. I still have a lot to think about, but now I know where to go if I have questions!
I love St. Patrick's Day, too and love decorating the house for it.
First thanks for stopping by my blog. I love the old houses you are so lucky to live in one. It's surprising to see how many folks are into exercise and fitness. I'm totally going to check out fitbits.
If you end up getting one, let me know and we can be friends on it – it helps having friends there to encourage you!
Being married to an avid reader is so much fun. I love talking books with my husband! Enjoy Armchair BEA!
While we don't tend to read the same books, it's nice to be with someone that gets my obsession with books and enjoys going to the bookstore!
Hi Kristin,
It's nice to meet you, this is my first year participating in Armchair BEA and I loving getting to know the people behind the blogs 🙂
Thanks for stopping by My Introduction
I hope you enjoy your first ArmchairBEA experience – it's a great week!
Kristin
I love your blog and am very happy that somehow by serendipity I found it earlier in the year. I read similar books so I always have my eye out for what you are reading.
Kathryn
Oh, thanks!!! That's the thing I love about the book blogging community – it's so easy to find people that have similar reading interests.
luving your st patrick's day celebrations so close to home! i too have a 106 yr old stone basement home so appreciate that historical value with you..
glad you're on twitter – I'm at my follow limit by @_eHope if you want more book tweets 🙂
enjoy ABEA!
Oh…we love our house!
Hi Kristin: I've been following your blog for awhile but it's nice to be re-introduced through BEA!
I didn't realize you were in the area north of NYC. My grandmother lives in Clinton Corners near Poughkeepsie.
So glad you liked The Winter Palace – that was one of my favorite reads last year!
Yes, it's great getting to know bloggers a little more in-depth during these events.
Hi, Kristin –
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Wow, how on earth do you keep 3 audios straight at once? I am impressed! I usually stick to 1 audio and 1 paper book at a time. I would love to read The House Girl – have heard so many good things about it.
I also come from a reading family and I LOVE giving people books as gifts! (and receiving them, of course)
Enjoy the rest of Armchair BEA –
Sue
Book By Book
Big Book Summer Challenge
It's not as bad as you would think – providing the audios are different enough from each other. I highly recommend The House Girl – really good story!!!
Yes, receiving books is great. I have so much fun picking out books for my nieces and nephews. I really try to find books that they will enjoy – no just picking any book.
Hi, Kristin! It's nice to meet you! I hope I marry an avid reader. I'm not sure what I'll do if I end up with a guy who hates reading! Haha. I think sitting on the porch reading together sounds so sweet and romantic. 🙂
I envy you readers who can focus on 3-4 books at a time. I wish I could! I'm a one book at a time kind of girl.
Hope you have fun this week!
– Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl
It is nice sharing my obsession with reading and books with my husband…and it's comfortable to be able to sit together and read.
I used to be a 1-book-at-a-time girl, too, but then I started audios and found that it's a completely different experience and so I can keep the books separate.
Hi! I wish my hubby was a reader too. It sounds so nice, how you described sitting on the porch and reading. I wish we could do that. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my post!
~Sara @ Forever 17 Books
I do love that about my hubby…it's so peaceful and comfortable just being able to sit together and read!