Today, I’m lucky enough to feature an interview with a great blogger that I only just discovered thanks to Book Blogger Appreciation Week! Lexie of Poisoned Rationality and I were assigned to interview each other and since then, I have become a subscriber of her blog and discovered tons of new books to add to my wishlist. So it goes! If you’ve never met her, I hope you’ll enjoy your introduction to Lexie and her blog, and if you read her blog already, maybe you’ll learn something new!
Meghan: First, maybe you could tell us a little bit about you! What do you do in your real life besides read?
Lexie: Wait there’s stuff to do in life besides reading?! I never knew…XD I joke I joke…While reading takes up a lot of my time I’m also in the process of getting my degree in paralegal studies. Which also involves a lot of reading, but of a more staid and dry kind. Then also I’m a part time nanny with an agency, so I do that when the need arises. Oh and I cook for my family. Kind of more improvise and pray it all turns out well, but its mostly edible 85% of the time. There’s also my boyfriend, who demands attention, my friend Melissa who I am slowly addicting to anime and L3D my friendship circle. (L3D stands for ‘Lexie, Liz and Lisa + Des’ 3 L’s and one D! Why yes we’re big dorks). They also like to nab attention and aren’t keen when I prefer reading to socializing (luckily Liz and Des live in Texas and Lisa is busy with her nurse job XD)
M: What are your other hobbies?
L: Video games! Such as Kingdom Hearts, .hack//G.U., Persona 3 and 4, Shin Megami Tensei, Phoenix Wright, Animal Crossing, Tales of Vesperia…oh of course classic games. Bubble Bobble, Mario Brothers, the Original Zelda as well as Ocarina of Time. Between my brother and I we have 11 game systems ranging from a working NES to our newest system the PS3. We had 15 but we got rid of our Sega systems when our sister’s cat went to the bathroom on the box holding the systems (my original Sega Genesis…::cries:: ). I also like to bead, though its mostly for patience endurance. Writing (doesn’t everyone?), watching anime and asian dramas…sometimes walking XD
M: What got you started blogging about books?
L: I used to blog about books on my personal journal over at Livejournal, but none of my friends were that interested. I’d get comments like ‘Oh geez Lex…um I guess that’s good?’. So then I branched into a separate blog to gush over books without worrying that I have a bunch of angsty RL stuff clogging it all up.
M: What is your favorite thing about book blogging? Least favorite?
L: Connecting with the authors and readers. I’ve found myself a little bit less scared of talking to authors and approaching them because I (stalk)follow so many of their blogs and twitter feeds and respond to them. I’m still nervous in RL mind you, but I’m not scared to death clutching the books to my chest like the first time I met Maria V. Snyder at least!
Least favorite…I’m kind of a socially anxious person–RL or online. Its easier to cover up online ’cause no one can see the panic attacks I have or have red-faced I’m getting, but I respond the same way. Sometimes when I get e-mails or comments that are…less then polite I freak. Since blogging is meant to be a fun thing for me to do to escape my normal day to day stresses, I hate that I have those sorts of responses. It makes it less like a fun escape and more like a new kind of torture for me.
M: Share with us your favorite review or post.
L: Actually its a series of posts I did back in February called ‘Linnea Sinclair Book-A-Day’. My original intention had been to take all of her previously published books and read a new one each day to celebrate the release of her latest novel (Hope’s Folly). Sadly RL got in the way as I had just begun my classes…but when I told Linnea about it, she was so touched and she said it made her day. That made me smile hugely to know that someone I admire so much was touched by something I did.
(here’s the link to the post set: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/search/label/Linnea%20Sinclair%20Book-A-Day)
L: I got no idea what the first book I ever read was. I got theories based on what my dad has said, but no true clue. I’ve been reading since I was three years old or so–but my memories don’t really begin until I’m closer to 5. The first one I remember reading loving so much I had to read it again that same week was ‘The Girl With Silver Eyes’ by Willo Davis Roberts. I was about 10 years old and struck with the chicken pox. My mom got me a stack of books from Goodwill to compensate me not being able to leave my room.
My favorite was…hm. Either The Girl With Silver Eyes or Little House in Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
M: What are your favorite genres? Why?
L: I mostly stick to three–fantasy, Young Adult and Historical Romance (emphasis on Regency/Victorian time periods). Now if you were to sub-categorize those…well there’s a lot of sub-genres I read within those. Fantasy has always been my turn to for escape. Its so much easier for me to slip into a world where a birthmark on your arm means you might one day bring destruction to the world (or save it) then for me to understand the complexities of dating. I’ve recently gotten into Young Adult again (after not liking it that much at all when I was a young adult) because of my sister (who’s 16) and historical romance because of my grandmother who loved romances.
M: What about your favorite books or authors?
L: Hmm…the short version is…um…I call the fifth since there’s not really any way for me to choose without listing out for pages. I’m currently obsessed with Brandon Sanderson (to an almost scary degree) and I’m learning the love that is the Darkover novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I have a long way to go, but so totally worth it.
M: Share one fact about you that your blog readers would never have guessed.
M: Do you have a favorite book memory?
L: Shortly after my parents’ split up I went over to my grandma’s, where my dad was living at the time, with my brother and sister to see him. I guess he had gone to the used book store in Cranbury with my Uncle or something because on the table was a paperbag. Inside was a copy of every single Anne McCaffrey book the place had. From her Pern series to her Acorna to her Tower and the Hive books he got one of everything in paperback. I was so gloriously happy that for a time I forgot all about their divorce and how much I missed having him live with us.
M: Has book blogging changed anything about the way you read?
L: I try and pay attention to the smaller details because I can’t just publish a review that says ‘OMG SO GREAT READ IT!’ even if that’s my intial feelings on the matter. It can be something of a chore for me to remember details when the book is NOT in my face and I’m not in the middle of it honestly, once I finish a book, unless I begin to re-read it or I read another book in the same series, I file all that information away so that I can make room for the next new book. It was kind of a problem in school actually for book reports XD But now that I’m blogging I have a better understanding of how to retain that information (or at least remember to write it down).
M: Anything else you’d like to share?
L: Nope thank you for having me!
This is a new-to-me blog too – must go over and say hello!
.-= Heather J.´s last blog ..BBAW: Welcome! ***sticky post *** =-.
I agree! The best thing about blogging is being able to reach out to fellow book lovers.
Great interview!
.-= austenfan´s last blog ..BBAW Interview Swap w/ Natasha of Maw Books! =-.
I haven’t heard of this blog before, but I really enjoyed the interview!
.-= Alyce´s last blog ..BBAW Giveaway #6 – Cleopatra’s Daughter & The Heretic Queen =-.
Hi
Thank you for the great interview!
All the best,
@RKCharron
xoxo
It’s nice to meet you Lexie. I like fantasy as well.
BBAW Interview
.-= Bluestocking´s last blog ..The Sea of Monsters =-.
Great interview. I’ll have to check out Lexie’s blog.
.-= Carol´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday =-.
Great questions, Meghan. And thanks so much for introducing me to yet another great blogger.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Today’s Read: Between Me and the River by Carrie Host =-.
::high fives Meghan:: I’m so happy we got paired up!
.-= Lexie´s last blog ..BBAW: Interview with Medieval Bookworm =-.
Video game loving book bloggers, unite and take over
Lexie, I hear you on the social anxiety. It can be really tricky sometimes not to let book blogging become as difficult to handle as “real life” social situations!
Meghan, thank you for introducing me to Lexie! I love the interview.
.-= Nymeth´s last blog ..Meet Sandy at You’ve GOTTA Read This =-.
This is great! I love getting to know about different bloggers.
.-= MJ @ Creative Madness´s last blog ..BBAW 2 Interview Swaps =-.
The best part of BBAW is meeting all these new bloggers. I’m amazed at how many bloggers are students – I don’t know how they balance everything.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..BBAW: Blogger Interview – Meredith of Dolce Bellezza =-.
Great interview!
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..And the Winner of Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells is… =-.
Great interview! I loved your book memory, Lexie–thank you so much for sharing.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Me & Melody Lee–BBAW Interview =-.
What an awesome name for a blog. I loved the interview Meghan and it’s good to know one more new-to-me blogger
I’m ridiculously pleased that Lexie mentioned beading in her list of other interests. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of another beader blogger (blogger beader?) before. I’m off to check out her blog!
.-= Memory´s last blog ..BBAW: A Bookish Meme =-.
Thank you for the opportunity to meet, Lexie, Meghan! I was just over at her blog reading her interview with you. She sounds like you, very busy! A Joss Whedon fan! I am too.
.-= Literary Feline´s last blog ..Review: Richard Stark’s The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke =-.