Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Get To Know The Broke And The Bookish: Interview with Kelly & a Giveaway!


It took me 45 minutes to take this picture.

Hey guys! Kelly here, some of you may know me as @the_bookaholic on Twitter. Being a part of this blog has been a great experience, mainly thanks to Jamie's wise guidance! Anyways, I'm 20 years old and a senior in college. I'm a Creative Writing major and I like to read, but isn't that why we're all here?



Five Bookish Facts About Me:
Do you have any weird bookish quirks? I'm not sure if this is too weird, as I've come across many book-lovers who are just the same, but I am very hesitant when loaning out my books. I'm always afraid they'll come back to me ruined, stained, ripped, or horror of horrors, not at all. I hate even donating my books as I'm afraid people won't take care of them properly. I recently loaned my friend my much-loved copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, very reluctantly. She texted me yesterday saying that she took it on vacation with her...to Seattle. I had a minor heart attack imagining all of the disasters that could fall upon my book while so far away!

Do any of your friends, family or significant others share your passion? My family is full of readers. My parents have always been willing to buy me books or take me to the library. My mom used to work at a publishing company in Los Angeles and would bring home boxes of books for me! My dad really got into reading when he was trying to learn English after he moved to the US. On the other hand...my friends, not so much. Other than the few that like Harry Potter and/or Twilight, I have maybe two friends that really enjoy reading, but not to the degree that I do. It's very frustrating to not be able to talk bookish-things with friends, which is why the blogging community is so important to me!

Favorite quote from a book? I think my all time favorite quote is from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: "If you look for perfection, you'll never be content." How true is that? Another quote that I like to throw around is from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey,  "The person, be it gentlemen or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." Overall, I think Oscar Wilde is one of the most quotable human beings that ever lived.

What were some of your favorite books as a child? I'll admit it right off: I was OBSESSED with The Babysitter's Club. OBSESSED. I owned every single book in the series and have read each one at least seven times. And yes, I did try and start my own club, but since there was only one member (me), that failed quickly. I also loved books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and Louis Sachar.

What are you currently reading? I just started The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's over 1,000 pages, which scares me to death, but the historical and fantasy aspects are right up my alley and I think I'll really enjoy it.


Five Random Facts About Me:
1. I am the the biggest mutt you'll ever meet. I was raised in California and am part Spanish and Chinese thanks to my dad, but being raised by my mom's family, I speak with a hilarious mix of a Southern and English accent. It's apparently very amusing to hear me talk.

2. I've been to Disney World almost 200 times. Both my aunt and roommate work there (free tickets!), so I am there almost every weekend. I can find my way around each park blindfolded. You'd think I'd get sick of it, but that's yet to happen!

3. Throughout my entire life, I've spent an ungodly amount of time at the beach or by a pool, yet amazingly, even though I rarely wear sunscreen, I've never been sunburned once *knocks on wood.*

4. I'm obsessed with nail polish. I own over 45 bottles and simply cannot stop painting my nails weird colors. Currently, they are a vividly blinding baby blue.

5. I'm terrible with kids. I yell, get impatient, am grouchy, and get extremely peeved if they start crying. I can only imagine what kind of mother I'm going to be. In the meantime, the only child I can handle is my cat. He's adorable, isn't he?-->


GIVEAWAY!
Here's a nice little reward if you actually read through this entire post! Now, I'm a poor jobless college student, so my giveaway will be slightly less exciting than the others. I am giving away a copy of one of the best books I've read in 2011, Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen (my review will hopefully be posted in the near future). If you like historical fiction, the 1920s, flappers, drama, love, death, and betrayal, I'm sure you will love this one!

+ You are not required to be a follower, but we'd sure love it if you were!
+ This giveaway is open internationally.
+ Ends on July 6th.

(This giveaway is now closed)

23 comments:

  1. Oh! I seriously have the same problem when I lend someone my books! I almost never do it, my mom is the exception, cause I know she treats books the way I would.
    And I'm really jealous of you not getting sunburned! That happens to me in like 5 minutes, so annoying!
    Your cat is adorable! What's his name?

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  2. Kelly, I am the same way about loaning books. My books are my children, and I can't stand letting someone borrow them. I'd hate to have a random crease, rip, tear, or stain show up. Dirty fingerprint marks are the worst!

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  3. Holy freaking smokes! 200 times! Are you serious!?! That is awesome though. Nail polish is amazing ( I happen to be snappy sorbet orange right now), and your cat is adorable. Awesome-tastic post :)
    -Katelyn

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  4. I also loved the Babysitters Club with a passion that completely defies reason! I think I owned pretty much all the books at one stage! And my club had two members, but was still pretty much a gigantic failure :-P
    Also I am SO JEALOUS of the amount of times you've been to Disney World - i've not even been once yet!

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  5. I loved The Mists of Avalon! A copy was being passed around my family back when I was in grade 9, and I remember lugging the giant volume from class to class with me in case I had 5 or 10 minutes after getting my work done to read... It took me 2 weeks to finish.

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  6. I haven't cracked open my copy of Mists of Avalon yet - intimidating! Good luck with that! And happy blogoversary!

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  7. Kelly how nice to meet you. :)

    I'm with you on the kids...I have 2 cats LOL

    Happy blogoversary!

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  8. I love that Jane Austen quote. Also, the opening lines of Anna Karenina are probably my favorite, so I think you have good taste in book quotes. Also, that cat is adorable. :)

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  9. A family of readers AND family that works at Disney Land? You are one LUCKY girl!! :-)

    Very nice to "meet" you Kelly!

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  10. Awww kitty is adorable! I have wanted to read this one so thanks for the giveaway! Awesome choice! My daughter is slowly becoming a nail polish fan as well(she's only 5)My sister bought a cute pink color just for her and she loves it! Of course what little girl doesn't like pink?!

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  11. Your kitty is very handsome! I love fingernail polish too. Alas, I suck at painting my own nails so I rarely try.

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  12. Ugh, I'm very selfish about lending books out. Like you, I always imagine them getting lost or messed up :/

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  13. Aww, cute kitty!

    I know someone who lives right outside of Disney so she's there all the time... so jealous! I've never been. =(

    Thanks so much for the giveaway. =)

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  14. Amazing giveaway, thank you for your generousity. :)

    Suz @ A Soul Unsung

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  15. First of all, I am INSANELY jealous that you've been to WDW so often. I really need to meet someone who works there, so that I can take advantage of that! ;)

    I do not loan out my books at all. The last time I did, the person ended up ripping off the front cover and utterly destroying the book. She did replace it for me, but that was the last time I've trusted anyone. Now, the only books I'll give out are those I do not want back. It makes it a lot easier to share when I know I won't be the recipient of an abused book when they are through with it!

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  16. I was totally obsessed with The Babysitters' Club, too! I tried to start my own club with my friend but we were too young to actually babysit and we didn't like babysitting soooo that was short lived :P

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  17. Babysitters Club is the best! That is what opened me up to reading in the first place, I even had a spreadsheet with all the titles and would check off each read <--yup, nerd alert.

    I live in Orlando!! Super cool :)

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  18. I'm jealous that you've never gotten a sunburn! If I don't have sunscreen on I will seriously be burnt in 20 minutes. I even burn with sunscreen on sometimes.

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  19. I loved your interview, Kelly! And thanks for the giveaway!

    Miss Lauren @ Ravishing Reads
    misslaurenwilk at gmail dot com

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  20. +JMJ+

    You've been to Disney World over 200 times??? That tops everything! I'm so envious now . . . =P

    I think The Baby-sitters Club was a good obsession to have! But I'm biased because I'm reading the series now as an adult and am finding it really well written. What the heck was I doing sticking to Sweet Valley all those years ago???

    And I really hope the book you loaned to your friend comes back safely! As all bibliophiles know, there is nothing that strains friendships like borrowed books that have been thoughtlessly treated.

    Finally, thanks for the giveaway! =)

    altaemoeniaRomae
    [at]
    Gmail
    [dot]
    com

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  21. I've been away for the past few days and am finally getting around to all of these comments!

    I am glad you guys appreciate the handsome-ness of my kitty as well. Daisy, his name is Whiskers (totally unoriginal!).

    Haha I knew I wasn't alone in not wanting to share my books! They are like my children, I want to keep them safe!

    Thanks for all of your comments and entries :)

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  22. Oh, and VERY cool Mimi! I've not met many book bloggers from this area...I think only one other!

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  23. Happy Blogoversary!
    Aww your cat is really adorable ^^
    thanks a lot for the chance.

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