The Fireside Chats

I’ve posted some questions below from some of my readers and I’ve provided my answers to each of the questions. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed answering them!

What do you like to do for fun?

My main hobby is reading, however, I also like to watch movies, play video games, spend time with my dog and my husband, catch up on my favorite tv shows, and spend time on the internet.

Why did you get into blogging?

I enjoy reading but I don’t have anyone that I can really talk to about it. So I started this blog in the hopes that some people out there on the internet would be interested in reading it and I might find some people who’d have the same interests as me. Even if no one else wants to talk about it with me, writing about it on my blog lets me express things and get it out there. For example, I can share what I’ve been reading every time I start a new book or I can share what I just purchased every time I visit my local book store.

What was the first blog you ever owned?

Before I started this one, I had one several years ago but I can’t remember what I called it. It was just a general blog and it didn’t have a specific niche` like this one. I think that’s why I didn’t keep it…..it was too hard for me to find things to write about since it wasn’t specific enough.

What are the steps you go through to write your blogs?

My first step is I’ll sit down to brain storm for a while in order to come up with some ideas for some articles to write. Once I’ve come up with some ideas, I’ll start an article that’ll be saved under the “draft” section. I’ll keep writing that article until I feel that is finished and then I’ll publish it.

What are some of your favorite books to read as a kid that you can remember?

“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls, “Charlote’s Web” by E. B. White, “Aunt Morbelia and the Scream Skulls” by Joan Davenport Carris, “The House of Dies Drear” by Virginia Hamilton, “Romona Quimby Age 8” by Beverly Cleary, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz, and a few of the Goosebumps books from R. L. Stine……..those are the ones that I can remember off the top of my head.

Do you believe there’s a direct correlation between how many books you read vs. how much you learn?

I think a person can learn things from reading regardless of how many books you set out to read. Even if you only read 1 or 2 books a year or you read 100 books a year, there are many things you can learn even if you don’t purposely set out to learn something when you read. For example, I believe you can increase your vocabulary and also it can help you empathize with others. I remember reading an article once that also stated that reading can help keep your mind sharp as you age.

Have you considered becoming a writer?

I’ve thought about it but I don’t think I would be any good at it. I love to read but I don’t think I’d be able to write as good as the authors I enjoy.

What real places have you visited that were some settings in the books you’ve read and are there any that you’d like to visit?

I haven’t visited any places that were any settings in a book I’ve read (at least, not that I know of). There are some places that I would love to visit though. I would like to go to the Georgian House Wizard Chambers in London. It’s a hotel where the rooms are made to look like Hogwarts-styled dormitory. I also want to go visit the Harry Potter store in New York City, New York. But as far as actual literary setting, I’ve thought about going to visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. That’s where Stephen King got the inspiration for “The Shining”.

If you could spend a whole day with a particular author (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Agatha Christie would be a good one. She’s like the top mystery writer and the only ones to outsell her are the Bible and Shakespeare. Who wouldn’t want to sit down with her for a day and pick her brain? I wouldn’t mind asking her what she likes to read in her spare time and how she comes up with the ideas for her books. I’d want to know all sorts of things.