About Me: My Favorite Author

Just like picking a definitive list of my favorite books of all time, choosing my favorite author of all time is just as difficult. I'm drawn to many authors because of their writing style, the topics they write about and their characters within their stories. I become invested in them and want to know what will happen next. I love it when what an author writes leaves me satisfied but at the same time wanting more. And when choosing an all-time favorite author, I have to consider their collected works and not just my favorite book that they have written.

Keeping all of that in mind, I'd say Ellen Hopkins is my favorite author. In 2007, I was fortunate enough to attend an event where she was a featured author and meet her. She writes verse novels about real people with real issues showing that life isn't always pretty. When reading her novels, I can appreciate the effort that is put into to every poem. Each line placement and each phrase is written with a purpose. She is a great storyteller who shows me the world of her characters, but also draws me in and makes me feel, at times uncomfortable, but she makes me feel something and that is what I love so much about her books. After reading one of her novels, sometimes it can take me a few days to start a new one because I am still considering what I've just read - thinking about the characters and their story and  wondering what is happening to them. How does their story continue? Or I am just so affected by the story that it can take a while to take it all in.

Crank is the novel that I always recommend for people to read first but my favorite novel by Hopkins is Impulse.

Ellen Hopkins is also the author of Glass, Fallout, Burned, Identical, and Tricks. Her website is www.ellenhopkins.com

About Me: Starting Actin' Up with books

After almost five months of blogging, I still don't have an About Me section. I think it is about time I let you know a bit more about the gal behind the blog. To lessen the embarrassment level of talking about myself, I'm including my response to a series feature I participated in at Page by Page a few months ago. I shared about my blog, my favorite books and authors.  

Why did you start your blog in the first place? What is one of the biggest things that has happened to you since you started it?

For years I had read blogs by Sarah Dessen, Megan McCafferty and Sara Zarr because I am such a huge fan of their books. I hadn't really considered starting a blog myself because I am not a published writer and thought that I should be because honestly, who would want to read what I have to say. One day I read an author's post, not sure which one, commenting how their book was featured on a reviewer's blog. I'm pretty sure it was The Compulsive Reader, (maybe Persnickety Snark). And it was from there, that I was introduced to this huge blogging community. I was in heaven. Honestly, I had no idea there was such a great community for sharing a love for books, especially for adult readers of young adult books. It took me a while to convince myself to start the blog because I wondered if I really do have something to say and would anyone want to read about it. I mean in person, I can go on for on for hours talking (to anyone who will listen) about why I love a book and why they should read it. But can I convey it in a blog that will be interesting? Finally, I kicked my self-doubt to the curb, and just decided to have some fun with it because that really is what it should be about. So, to make this very long story short, I started my blog to have a place to share my love (obsession) of books and introduce some of my favorite books to readers of my blog. I also wanted to have a place to openly discuss books with readers with similar interests. I'm still trying to find my voice as a blogger (I'm sure I've found it), but I am having a lot of fun with it.

One big thing that has happened to me since I have started this blog is some amazing writers have agreed to participate in an upcoming feature on my blog. I don't want to give too much away as it is still in the works, but it will include author interviews, book reviews and some giveaways. I'm so excited! I have since interviewed PUSH authors Brian James, Siobhan Vivian, and Samantha Schutz. You can find my interviews on the Interview page of the blog. I have also reviewed Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian and featured Perfect World by Brian James.