Monday 26 May 2014

Armchair BEA 2014

I may have bitten off more than I can chew.

I'm winding up The Wharton Review, I'm a third of the way through my latest Classics Club spin book & I'm waiting for Angela Carter Reading week next month.

Surely I can fit in Armchair BEA as well?

The Introductory post asks us to answer five (out of ten) questions as a way of getting to know each other.
  1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from? 
I'm a 40-something bookoholic from Sydney, Australia. 
I've been blogging for 4 years and 11 months. 
Up until 6 years ago I was a preschool teacher. I'd been teaching for 18 years...but I burnt out. I was at a loss about my next career choice. While I was dithering about, I picked up a temporary job at my local indie bookstore. 
Within 6 mnths I was managing the kids section of the shop and I'd started my own book blog as a way to assist teachers and parents in selecting appropriate books for their children.
However, I found this type of reviewing very constraining and ultimately, unsatisfying. It was taking the pleasure out of reading! 
As a result, my blog has now evolved into a more personal book journey.

2. What genre do you read the most? I love to read because ___________________ . 

I love historical fiction and the classics. I love to read for the pure joy and escapism. I also love to read for knowledge - self-knowledge as well as the bigger, wider world of knowledge about the meaning of life & man's inhumanity to man.

3. What was your favorite book read last year? What’s your favorite book so far this year? 

It's not easy to pick just one favourite for 2013 so my favourite children's book was The Cloud Hunters by Alex Shearer and my favourite adult book was 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. Although 2013 was also the year I read my first Pym (the beginning of a lifelong love affair I suspect!)

2014 - children's favourite by far Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Australian author Karen Foxlee. The adult choice is a tie between The Railwayman's Wife by another Aussie author, Ashley Hay and the Anne Tyler classic, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.

4. Share your favorite book or reading related quote. 

It may be a little obvious or predictable, but one of my all time favourite books is To Kill A Mockingbird and my favourite quote from it is...
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... 
Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

5. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 3 books would you bring? Why? What 3 non-book items would you bring? Why? 

3 book; 1 deserted island?
Persuasion by Jane Austen & To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee because they are my favourite rereads & 1001 Books You Must read Before You Die so that I could remember all the rest!
3 non-book related items?
First up - Mr Books (for all the obvious reasons!) 
Secondly, my pocket knife and third - a mixed pack of vegetable and herb seeds.

You can follow me on facebook, twitter and Instagram.

I'm looking forward to my first Armchair BEA - a great way to travel without jetlag!

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous26/5/14

    thanks Brona, it was nice knowing you a bit more. I loved so much 1Q84 as well, have already pre-checked out his August upcoming novel from my library! my post is here: http://wordsandpeace.com/2014/05/26/armchair-bea-2014-introductions/

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    1. I'm also very excited about the Aug release of the Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Year of Pilgrimage.
      Thanks for popping by :-)

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  2. Anonymous27/5/14

    lol same here about feeling like you've taken more than you could possibly manage; my semester's a little loaded but I really wanted to take part in this event so I did all of my posts as early as I could! lol

    Great intro--yay for historical fiction and classic lit! And yay for bringing Persuasion to a deserted island too ;) Looking forward to the rest of your posts this week!

    - Lianne @ caffeinatedlife.net

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    1. I wish I stumbled upon the intro post a few days earlier so I could have prepared over the weekend...of well, I'll keep up as best I can :-)

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  3. Anonymous27/5/14

    How nice to get to know you better.
    I'm very interested in your children's book choices as well.
    I need to read the Murakami. I bought it two months ago (in a German translation).
    I like your desert island ideas.

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  4. Great getting to know you Brona. I admire you for your years of teaching, you must be a patient woman.

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  5. Great post, Brona. You sound like me biting off more than I can chew. I'm sure we will both do fine. Enjoy the week!

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  6. Welcome to ArmchairBEA, I'm glad to see another Australian joining in

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    1. Thanks Michael - there's only 3 of us I think!

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  7. Visiting your blog via ABEA; my YA mystery / thriller, FERAL, will release in August with HarperTeen.

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  8. Great introduction, Brona! I enjoyed Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, recently -- it came along at the perfect time for me.

    Seeds! That's an excellent answer to the deserted island question.

    Have a great week with Armchair BEA!

    Joy's Book Blog

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  9. Anonymous27/5/14

    I almost forgot - thanks for mentioning Angela Carter Week.

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  10. Hi, Brona -

    Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday - it was nice getting to know you better with this post. I have heard such good things about Murakani's novels - I will have to try one for myself.

    Nice to "meet" you!

    Sue

    2014 Big Book Summer Challenge

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