My interview today is with Wendy, from Musings of a Bookish Kitty. She's such a nice lady, I really hope you enjoy reading her interview and take a second (or two or three or a million) and check out her blog!
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| Wendy's super cute kitty, Anya |
We decided to ask each other the same questions, so if you're interested, head on over to her blog to see my answers!
Please tell us a little about your
blog! Why did you start blogging and how did you choose your blog's name?
My
husband is to blame for getting me started with blogging. I have kept a reading journal for years and
have been in online reading groups even longer than that. So when my husband suggested I start a blog,
I figured it was worth a try. I was
looking for a place to share my bookish thoughts with friends. From that, Musings of a Bookish Kitty
was born. While I mostly blog about the
books I read, I also share bits of my life with my readers as well. My reviews are informal—more about how what I
am reading has impacted me rather than a more academic critique. I read a wide variety of books, from
historical, all kinds of crime fiction and speculative fiction, literary
fiction, general fiction to some nonfiction.
I love talking—and writing—about books!
As for my
blog name, I was raised with dogs and always considered myself a dog
person. As a result, my usernames and
online handles were often dog related. My very own first pet was a dog after
all. Then Parker came into my life. An orange tabby with the sweetest disposition. I fell in love. In 2006, when I created my blog, I decided it
was time to honor the cat lover in me—hence the name. The funny thing is, I actually spent a lot of
time debating whether to go with “Kitty” as it sounded too cute-ish. I go by Literary Feline online, and could
have used that, I suppose, but “Musings of a Bookish Kitty” had a better ring
to it.
Who are some of the bloggers you look up to/admire
and why?
I have
respect for so many of my fellow book bloggers.
I am always on the lookout for new ideas and new book
recommendations. I’ve got that in
spades, thanks to all of you book bloggers out there!
Three
bloggers in particular that come immediately to mind include:
Jill from Fizzy Thoughts. I look up
to her for so many reasons. She is
funny, smart, and oh so articulate. She
is the ultimate book blogging community cheerleader. Her blog is one of my favorites. Her reviews are insightful and I love her
song lyrics (am I the only one who tries to sing along?).
Another book blogger I adore is Ti from Book Chatter. Her reviews never fail to make me salivate. She is thoughtful and honest about the books
she reads and about life. There is nothing
pretentious about Ti.
And, of
course, Joy of Thoughts of Joy. I have followed Joy’s blog forever. Joy is
my constant. She’s never been one to get
caught up in any of the blogging controversies, always knowing who she is and what
she wants her blog to be. I appreciate
her honesty and join in her love for crime fiction.
All three
are committed to books and reading and interact with their blog readers, making
them feel welcome. They write from their hearts, and it shows.
What do you find most challenging about
blogging? What do you enjoy the most?
The most
challenging . . . Lately it would have to be just finding the time to
blog. I rarely am able to get on the
computer when I am home with my family (unless they are out of the house), and
so I have to prepare and schedule all of my posts ahead of time. It’s quite a different from the way I used to
blog, which was more off the cuff. I
have great admiration for those who can balance family, career, and blog all at
the same time. I haven’t found the
secret yet. I do what I can though and
am happy with that. I also find keeping
up with other blogs a bit of a challenge.
I am most drawn to blogging because of the community aspect, and so being
able to interact with other bloggers is a must for me. Since having my daughter, it’s been a real
struggle. I think I’ve found my new
normal though. Accepting that I can’t do
everything I did to the degree I used to do it has helped a lot.
As for
what I enjoy the most . . . The community!
Talking about books is one of my favorite things to do and through book
blogging I discovered a world of people with a similar interest (and obsession). A friend of mine once said it’s like being a
part of a big support group. We certainly enable and support each other’s book
habits, don’t we? My To Be Read (TBR)
collection and wish list have grown exponentially since I began blogging—I have
read books I never would have considered and learned about new authors I might
have missed had it not been for other book bloggers.
What about the person behind the blog? What
do you do in your free time?
Actually,
reading and blogging are what I do in my free time. And free time is pretty scarce around here,
so I try and fit in what I can when I can.
It can be a real challenge! My
daughter, Mouse, turned 18 months old this past weekend. She and my husband take up most of my
attention when I am not working. We like
to go on outings on the weekends just to get out of the house. Sometimes it’s a visit to the local botanical
gardens or a trip to the park to visit the ducks and other times it’s just down
the way to the local Target or grocery store.
My daughter is my reminder to slow down and enjoy the simple things in
life. She came to us later in our lives
and has been such a joy. I also have two cats and a dog, all three of
whom have been with me for many years now and whom I adore.
My career
is unrelated to books and blogging, and it keeps me pretty busy. I am a supervisor at the local child abuse
hotline. I was an investigative social
worker before that for a number of years and also worked at the juvenile court
for a brief time. It can be rather
stressful at times, but I feel passionate about the work I do and work with a
great group of people.
I turn to
reading and blogging to relax and unwind.
I also enjoy watching movies and going to the theater, especially to see
musicals (Les Miserables is my favorite opera—can’t wait to see the
movie coming out soon!). I recently got
back into pen palling (the old fashioned hand written kind). It had been a serious hobby of mine for many
years, but I fell out of it when I began blogging. I write to a handful of people, some about
books and others about parenting. There’s
something to be said for coming home and finding an actual letter in the mailbox
amongst the junk mail and bills.
What are some of your favorite books you have
read so far this year?
So far, my absolute favorite book this year has been Sarah McCoy’s TheBaker’s Daughter .
It really touched me on a personal level (which, for me, tend to be the best
kind of books). It is one of those
cross-over time books, one part of the story set during 1945 and the other in
modern day.
I was also really taken with the book Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin, a crime fiction/thriller. The protagonist receives a letter after her
father’s death, suggesting that she was kidnapped and had been raised by people
who are not her real parents. It is one
of those novels in which the characters make the story—and being that I most
value strong character development in any novel I read, it’s no wonder I loved
Heaberlin’s book so much.
A few
new-to-me authors really impressed me this year—and I plan to go back and read
their backlists at some point: Deborah Crombie, Charles Todd, and Louise
Penny. They are authors I am beating myself
up over for not reading sooner.
Share five random facts about you. Don't be
shy!
1. Growing
up, my favorite children’s books featured Amelia Bedelia and Encyclopedia
Brown.
2. One of my
elementary schools had its own radio station.
I was a reporter and a character on the radio soap opera.
3. Most of
my favorite memories as an elementary school student revolve around the school
library. I loved spending time in the
library, helping shelve books and listening to the librarian read us a story.
4. When I
was a child, I convinced my parents to name one of our dogs after a character
in one of my favorite chapter books, Harry Cat’s Pet Puppy by George
Selden.
5. I confess
I am not a huge fan of board books in general, but I’ve come across a few among
my daughter’s collection that I’ve warmed too.
Sandra Boynton in particular has become a favorite children’s author of
mine. I seek out her books now and
wouldn’t be surprised if one day we have her entire backlist.
Wendy, thank you so much for this interview! It was great getting to know you :)
Wendy, thank you so much for this interview! It was great getting to know you :)
