11 More Questions

I only discovered fairly recently that one of my best book blogger friends Jana tagged me in a meme to answer 11 questions. Though I have done this before, I wanted to be able to answer Jana's questions and hopefully let my newer followers know a little bit more about me!

Has your book blogging changed your love of books? Do you love them more now, or has blogging turned reading into more of a chore than it used to be?

I still love reading books as much as I always have. Blogging comes second to reading for me, and that's a constant. Other than that, blogging has helped me connect with other people who enjoy books as much as I do - and also contributed to my wallet constantly being emptied as I shell out cash for even more books!

Why did you choose the name of your blog?

Though I do like playing around with words, I wanted to keep it simple when I started my little book review blog. It was actually a personal project at first, as I was a bit shy about venturing into the community, so I had no qualms about naming it Alexa Loves Books. 

Do you believe in getting personal in your reviews, or do you keep them strictly professional and leave yourself out?

Funny you should mention it. I started out writing very personal reviews, although they were definitely NOT polished or edited properly. And then, a few months ago, I started trying out a new more "professional" format, which left out a lot of my personal reaction and just stuck to being objective. I've made an executive decision to be more personal in my reviews, if only so that my actual voice comes into play on the blog.

What book were you the most excited to receive free for review?

I was really excited to read Allegiance by Cayla Kluver, which I received via NetGalley for review. I loved Legacy, so it was definitely really exciting to get approved to review this one!

What prompted you to start your book blog?

I loved reading, and have loved it my whole life. The only sad part - there's just one person in my family who loves it as much as I do. Inspired by the book blogs I discovered and wanting to keep track of the books I had read, I started Alexa Loves Books - and the rest is history.

What has been the best thing to happen to you as a result of writing a book blog?

The best thing that's happened to me is that I got to meet people who are as passionate about books as I am. I'm very happy to say that many of the bloggers behind my favorite book blogs are now people I count among my real life friends.

What book pulled you out of your comfort zone, but changed you in some way?

Various Positions by Martha Schabas was a very uncomfortable book for me to read BUT it did get me to reflect on a few things, as well as develop an entirely new respect for writers who aren't afraid to tell it like it is.

How much time do you spend a week blogging?

I spend hours on the Internet, tweeting, commenting and blogging. That being said, I do try to limit myself to a maximum of 2-3 hours after dinner.

If you could go back and start over, would you change anything?

If I could go back and start over, I'd probably try to be more careful when editing my reviews. Oh, and maybe I would have been more creative with my blog name. But I'm happy with my journey as a book blogger so far - it's been incredible.

Other than reading, what's your favorite thing to do?

I love to write. I write lots of different things (including my blog posts both here and on my personal blog), but my favorite thing to write is stories. I have lots of unfinished ones, and I'm determined to finish one this year!

I also love to travel. There's just something about the magic of a new place and sights to see and people to meet and things to experience that have always appealed to me!