Armchair BEA Intro

This is my first Armchair BEA! I'm too lazy to explain it, so I'm going to copy-paste what my hardworking friend Bex wrote on her blog:

For those who don't know, Armchair BEA is an annual blogging event which coincides with BEA (Book Expo America) in New York and is specifically designed for those of us who are unable to attend. Each day has a couple of fun topics for us to engage with and write about and it's a brilliant way to connect with other bloggers and discover fantastic new to you blogs! 

So there you go. I don't think I can buy a pass to this expo because I am not an author, nor am I a publisher, bookseller, editor, teacher, or famous person. I'm simply a book-monger, book-hoarder, book-fiend, book-aficionado... and that's good enough for me. Going to launch into these intro questions now!

Tell us a bit about yourself: How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? How did you get into blogging?

I have been blogging since I was in high school 12 years ago (I cringe when I think about xanga and livejournal), but I didn't start "book blogging" until I got started my goodreads account in June 2011. I was born in Chicago, raised in the northwest Chicago suburbs, went to college in the cornfields of Champaign-Urbana, and am now in Minneapolis.  

I have always loved reading and love sharing my love of books with others. When people started asking for book recommendations, I realized how scatterbrained I was when coming up with a solid list. I decided to blog and review books so that I could organize my thoughts and remember my favorites better.

Why do you loving reading and blogging?

I love reading because I can learn new things, "visit" other countries, learn about other cultures, understand and empathize with other people's joys and sorrows, and escape the white noise of daily life for a bit.

I love blogging because I can learn new things, "visit" other countries, learn about other cultures...

What does diversity mean to you?

Diversity, to me, is about letting go of one's ethnocentrism and learning, relating to, and acknowledging other cultures, historical context, socioeconomic statuses, and genders. I'm sure there are more facets to diversity, but these are the ones that I'm most cognizant of when reading diverse authors.

What is one book everyone should read?

Everyone drop EVERYTHING and read Flowers For Algernon. Right now.

What is your favorite genre and why?

I'm a sucker for psychological thrillers with twist endings. I'm pretty sure I love them because I'm a twisted individual, but also my parents wouldn't let me read Stephen King when I was in grade school so naturally I would check them out and read them at night under my blankets with a flashlight. You always love what you can't have! (but now I do and I still love 'em)

What book are you reading right now?

The Girl On The Train

What is the top book in your TBR pile?

NOS4A2

What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer?

Saga - everyone and their brother has read this apparently, and I'm super late to the party.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what author would you want to bring with you?

If he could be resurrected (whole, not zombie): C.S. Lewis. He would put life into perspective for me and I'd learn so much about God and Christianity and fauns and Narnia.

If not: Murakami. To be clear, Haruki Murakami, and NOT Ryu Murakami. There's a big difference: Haruki would point out the absurdities of interpersonal relationships and we would quietly live our existence in peaceful introversion and go for daily morning jogs around the island. Ryu would murder me in my sleep. And then write about it.