May's Reader Interview with Matt, Part Two

Welcome to day two of Reader Interviews, a monthly feature here at Let Me Tell You a Story! Matt is an all-around great guy who loves to read, write and blog YA. (If you missed part one of Matt's Reader Interview, click HERE.)

Matt with Stephenie Meyer

Continuing where we left off... What is your favorite book cover of all time, and why? 

I KNEW THERE WOULD BE HARD QUESTIONS. As an artist, this one's a toughie. So I'm going to cheat and give more than one answer...

I'm gonna go with The Clockwork Princess, because it's BEAUTIFUL!!! It reflects the Victorian era in which the series takes place and it displays the mystic beauty of Tessa. And the cover is STROKABLE. Plus, if you open it up, there's a family tree of shadowhunters on the inside. Mind=blown. Just kidding, I had one answer after all. (But I'm also in love with the Grisha trilogy covers).

How about favorite title?

I hate picking favorites because I feel like I'm betraying my other precious lovelies. But ALL of Tom Clancy's books have epic titles! If you look them up, you'll feel satisfied just reading them all off.

I know you also love to write. If you could ask your favorite author one question regarding the writing process, what would it be?

WILL YOU WRITE A BOOK WITH ME??? And when I say 'with me' I really mean sit back and watch you work your magic while I stand in awe, contributing a few cool sounding words here and there.

Most recent book that made you laugh:

I actually read over something in my novel, and I laughed hysterically. Does that count??

Name one character you would never want to be stranded with on a desert island.

President Snow. Because he'd irritate me to the point of murdering him. Then I'd feel bad for killing an old man. (First thing that came to mind).

What merits a book making its way onto your personal favorites list?

If it's well-written, if I can relate to the characters, if the characters are believable and real, if the plot pulls me in, if it makes me feel satisfied at the end, if I get emotionally attached to characters, if it makes me want to advertise it to the world.

I like to say I "initiate" all of my books into the family by spilling coffee, chocolate on them, or both. Is there anything that you enjoy eating or drinking while you read? 

Chips and salsa. But I always get salt between the pages...

E-reader, paperback, or hardcover?

I prefer owning hardbacks, but paperbacks are more comfortable to read. I tolerate E-readers in desperate situations.

Have you read any books recently with low expectations that ended up rocking your socks?

The Fault in Our Stars!!! I thought it would be a cute love story but WOW!! So much depth. Also Across the Universe by Beth Revis! I started reading it before I went to bed (big mistake) and I literally stayed up ‘til 4:30am devouring every page. It was spectacular and I wanted more when I finished. (READ IT FOLKS.)

If someone borrowed your books, what would be the first thing they'd notice?

They're in perfect condition. Okay, that's a total lie. They have signs of love and lots of reading on them.

Have you ever read a character so entertaining, you actually wished you had a friend like that in real life?

URIAH (from Divergent). He is 100% me, and I've always wanted a friend like me. My twin brother is nothing like me.

A lot of readers save their favorite quotes (my middle daughter has tabs stuck throughout a lot of our books). Do you have one you'd like to share?

"We accept the love we think we deserve." -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

It's profound. And it's a flaw we all possess.

Dystopian, sci-fi, or contemporary?

Dystopian. I own more dystopians than anything else. (Plus, I kind of wrote one).

Last, is there a book-to-movie adaptation not yet in the works that you would love to see happen? If so, why?

Across the Universe by Beth Revis. HANDS DOWN. But it would have to be EXACTLY LIKE THE BOOK. Because it's perfect the way it is. That is all.

Thanks so much for being here today, Matt, and letting us pick your brain! :D 

But wait... Matt isn't finished yet... he added HIS OWN question! ;D And here it is...

What is your favorite novel of all time and why?

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. It has adventure and discovery, love and friendship, magic and imagination, brilliance and depth. I read it when I feel sad. I've practically memorized it. It's precious to me. Everyone should read it AT LEAST once.

Matt with Neal Shusterman

About Matt: Book Blogger, Reader, Friend, Aspiring Author! Jesus, Books, Sports, Friends, Food, Blogs, Awesome! 
Find Matt at That Crazy Fanboy or on Instagram: crazy_cato | Twitter: MattCrazy_ http://coffeelvnmom.blogspot.com/2014/05/mays-reader-interview-with-matt-part-one.html

11 Reasons Why I Love Book Bloggers

Recently, as I went through my favorite books, couples, and quotes looking for fun things fun to share on an feature at  Kayla's The Bibliophilic Nerds, it occurred to me that I was limiting the post to only authors and their fictional characters. But what about love with the readers? And love shared by those readers, with everyone else, all over the interwebs?

 Whoa! I thought. I’ve got an idea for a feature.

Which turns out to be quite apropos, considering If I Speak True’s blog tour just ended and I am seeing (for a second time) just how much work bloggers do on a daily basis. (Not that I didn't see it before... but when you're watching the process of a post from start to finish you definitely appreciate it more.)

So, without further ado, here’s my “love” list for Valentine's Day, because I love all ya'll, and you are SO appreciated:

11 Reasons Why I Love Book Bloggers

1) Book bloggers are the best. Eclectic group. Ever. Doesn't matter if they're thirteen and from the US or ninety-two and from Costa Rica; tall or short; love coffee or don't (gasp), all of them rock and share one thing: Their love for books. Therefore, they are equally amazing.

2) Book bloggers take time out of their busy schedules to share the books they’ve read with others. Not just once, not just twice, but time and time again, week after week, month after month, year after year. That's dedication, folks. 

3) Sometimes, after sharing the books they've read, they even recommend them, so others can fall in love with them, too.

4) Book bloggers love to squee about favorite characters. Which then gives the rest of us permission to squee with them. And then we all get to squee, and everybody’s happy. Until we read the next book. Then, we do it all over again. (Repeat this for every other emotion, too.)

5) Not only do book bloggers share their feelings about the books they’ve read on their blogs, but a lot of times they go that extra mile and share those thoughts on websites (like Barnes and Noble or Amazon or Goodreads, for example). This is two-fold awesome: a) it helps lead readers to books and b) enables readers to make informed decisions regarding whether a book is their kind of thing. 

6) Book bloggers host giveaways constantly. Have you noticed this? I mean, nowhere else except in the blogosphere can you click around and enter book/swag giveaway after giveaway for free, just BECAUSE. They are like, full of sweet-book-sharing-awesomeness that never stops. (I don't know about you, but I imagine my favorite circus music when I see giveaways. Come one, come all, to the greatest giveaways on our blogs! Ahem. Anyway...)

7) Book bloggers bring their personalities to the table. You hardly ever see the same blog design twice, which is crazy, considering how many bloggers there are! I love checking out everyone’s designs. (I also tend to swoon over owl ones, as well as anything that mentions coffee. But you already knew that, didn't you, friends?)

8) Book bloggers do cool cover features (like this one, or this one) and make fan art and sometimes even start Pinterest boards (which sends #booklove fans into crazy town and makes authors feel so stinking special).

9) Some of the best memes have been thought up by book bloggers, like Top Ten Tuesday, Waiting on Wednesday, What's Next, New Releases, GIF posts, Hot Off the Presses, and so on. (If you're looking for more/new memes, holy canole does Bookshelf Fantasies have a list for you.)

10) Their blog titles are so stinkin' unique. Here are just a minute few, so you can see what I mean:

Perpetual Page Turner
Such a Novel Idea

Chasm of Books

Turning Pages

The NerdHerd Reads

A Day Dreamer's World 

The Book Addict's Guide

Feed Me Books Now

Oops I Read A Book Again

A Book and a Latte

Page Turner's Blog 

The Story Siren

Me My Shelf and I

Lit Up Review

YA Midnight Reads

Geeky Chiquitas

The Escapist

I'd So Rather Be Reading 

11) Not only do bloggers come up with/do fun memes and have great blog titles, but they do reading challenges, too! Like, all the time! A tiny smithereen of examples:

Standalone Reading Challenge 

2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge: Indie-Fever

2014 TBR Pile Challenge

(This isn't on a blog, per se, but I even came across a reading challenge board on Pinterest and it lists quite a few.)

Now of course, there are way more than eleven reasons why book bloggers are awesome, but these are the ones that came to me. I know a LOT of us appreciate the book blogging community for various reasons, so everyone please feel free to add your reasons in the comments (or, better yet, do your own post on 11 reasons why you love book bloggers--using the banner the lovely Hafsah (@iceybooks/@iceydesigns) made)!

Okay now, fall in, everyone! Time to give all of the bloggers one big ***SQUEEZE***!!! 

Thank you for everything you guys do! *throws coffee bean confetti*


Disclaimers:

* as stated, there are many more bloggers who equally deserve thanks and credit. Each and every one of you is greatly appreciated, full of awesome, and most of you smell nice, too. If you aren't mentioned on this post, it's only because Lovemuffin put too many shots of espresso in my coffee and I'm on caffeine overload and my brain is going a thousand places at once and I can hardly even concen

** sometimes, authors are book bloggers, too, which means that they count as both. So to all of you authors who also blog and share the love of books with fellow authors/readers, you are totes included in the bloggerly love.

*** bloggers! If you have something you'd like to share, like a meme or reading challenge, ect. please feel free to do it in the comments! (YA and up appropriateness, please) 

**** when I said it would be cool of you to do your own 11 Reasons Why I Love Book Bloggers post, I wasn't kidding. It's Valentine's week. Heck, it's Valentine's month. Which means, basically... Go forth, and do it. Do it NOW.

***** wasn't trying to be demanding in that last comment... go forth and do it... please? Also: Here's a cookie.

International Book Giving Day 2014

To download a printable version of this bookmark, go HERE. 

Just a quick note to share that Friday, the 14th (Valentine's Day) is International Book Giving Day, which I think is a pretty awesome thing! :D There are *so* many ways to get books in this day and age (dollar stores, the dollar section at Target, used book stores, your kid's bookshelf, and so on) that it's easier than ever to share the book love. :)

Not sure how to participate? I've copied and pasted this straight from their website:

Three simple ways to celebrate International Book Giving Day!

1. Give a Book to a Friend or Relative.

Celebrate International Book Giving Day by giving a child a new, used or borrowed book.

2. Leave a Book in a Waiting Room or Lobby.

Choose a waiting room where kids are stuck waiting and there are few to no good books available. Purchase a good book, and deposit your book covertly or overtly in your waiting room of choice. The goal here is to spread the love of reading to kids, so choose a fun book, nothing controversial.

3. Donate a Book.

Wrap up a box of children’s books that your kids have outgrown and get them in the hands of children who could really use a book or two. Donate your books to your local second hand store, library, children’s hospital, or shelter. Alternatively, donate your books to an organization working internationally to get books in the hands of kids, such as Books for Africa.

You can find posters in other languages and a brief explanation of International Book Giving Day and this year's artist, HERE. Let's share the book love, ya'll! (And make sure to use the hashtag #giveabook when talking about International Book Giving Day on Twitter!) (LINK)