Welcome to Armchair BEA! The feature created for Book Bloggers who are unable to attend Book Expo America (BEA) in New York City.
Today is opening day aka introduction day! Here are the five questions I have selected to answer to introduce myself. Please link me to your introduction if you comment here! I’ll be visiting from the Mr. Linky on the main post but don’t want to miss anyone who has visited me here directly!
Don’t forget to check out the guest post from Lindsey Rudnickas at NetGalley and details about a promotion!
All About Jess (The Cozy Reader)
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?
Hi! I’m Jess, The Cozy Reader! I’m a mother of two, wife of one (hehe). We have a nearly 8 year old daughter, Madison, and a 13 month old son, Riley. We’ve been married 10 years this June.
I’ve been blogging for…(sneaks a peek at Blogoversary ticker)… four years now. I started my blog first as a sort of online journal but then it quickly became my outlet to express my thoughts on the books I had read. I never had the intention of book blogging or rather reviewing books, let alone reviewing pre-published books by some of my favorite authors. I consider myself blessed because not only do I love reading but I enjoy reading and then sharing some amazing books with my readers.
Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.
I am a gamer. Right now I am playing Diablo III as a Demon Hunter, who I have named Buffy. She’s level 53 and doing pretty awesome DPS. I play with my husband and a few of our good friends. I have also played my fair share of World of Warcraft and Counter Strike: Source.
I also just donated 12 inches of my hair to Locks of Love! See my blog post about the donation with before and after pictures!
Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?Can I pick a few? My favorite discussion topic was one I had on spoilers and whether they really spoil (YES! They do!). One of my most favorite books that I reviewed was Graffit Moon by Cath Crowley.
If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?I would love to have dinner, or possibly cake, with Jerico Z. Barrons from Karen Marie Monings Fever series. Why? Why wouldn’t I? Also, I plead the fifth. 😛
Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?I would say my reading tastes haven’t really changed. I am a paranormal fan in both adult and young adult. I enjoy a good contemporary every now and again. I seem to crave contemporaries more than I do paranormals though, which wasn’t the case a few years ago.
Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to link me to your introduction post!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m going to have to explore your blog more, it looks like we have similar taste. Barrons would be an excellent choice (and I really should finish that series!) Also, my husband and I met playing an MMORPG- EverQuest – 12 years ago!
Oh, you haven’t finished the series yet!? What are you waiting for!? I’ve reread it at least twice so far. 🙂
Woohoo to MMORPGs! Hubby and I have made some awesome friends online that we’ve had the pleasure of meeting IRL.
Thanks for stopping by!
I had to take them back to the library! and then I got disctracted by all the other books. Out of sight out of mind. It’s a goal for this year for sure.
Oh, but Barron’s is a hard one to get out of mind. 🙂 J/k, it’s a great series.
Not sure what book you ended on but Dreamfever had a doozy of an ending!
Thanks for your comment on my site! I enjoyed reading your interview. As far as spoilers go, for me it depends on the book. Sometimes I can know the entire plot and still go on to happily read the book. Sometimes I don’t want to know a single thing about it. But I always try to be careful not to include spoilers when I’m writing a review.
I avoid spoilers as much as possible. I’d rather my review be confusing than spoilery.
Enjoy Armchair BEA!
Jess, I love your new look (I checked out your hair post) – very nice!
Sounds like your reading tastes haven’t been influenced much by the book blogging community. Good for yoUu
Thanks Judith! I’m still getting used to the darker color. It’s a very deep red but looks black! 🙂
I don’t let the blogging community mess with me. Drama has no hold on me.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I don’t think my reading habits have changed much either, except that I read much more than I used to!
That’s a great point! I do too since I mostly read on my Kindle, which I feel I read much faster on. It also helps that I can usually sneak a few minutes of reading while at work. Can’t do that with a paperback! 🙂
Very nice to meet you! I have heard great things about Graffiti Moon….
Kate @ Ex Libris
Four wow that is quite an accomplishment. I hope you bring more contribution for the book blogging community. I really love Graffiti Moon too! and omg your a gamer! I’m a gamer too well not much lately but I do play ORPG have you heard of Ragnarok? heh
My Introduction post here
–Jay
We Fancy Books
I haven’t heard of that game Jay!
That is so sweet to donate your hair. I am trying to hold onto mine cuz it is thinning out from age.
I remember when I got my first request to review a new book – I was floored!!! I definitely didn’t get into book blogging for the new books I get, but love the perk!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier today!
Kristin @ Always With a Book
Awe, you have a beautiful family, Jess. And Congrats on your 10th Anniversary, it must be close if it’s this month! 😀
I know what you mean about contemporaries. I never really read them before blogging either, but now I can’t resist them every once in a while. 🙂 haha
Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself with us! It’s very nice to meet you, and thank you for stopping by and commenting on my Introductions post. 🙂
Ambur
Oh no, my entire post was eaten! ARgh.
Well, I was surprised and delighted to see you’re a gamer. I am too, and I tend to keep quiet about it in some circles because people think video games are just for kids and a waste of time. While playing Elder Scrolls: Skyrim certainly put a dent in my writing time, it’s more of time management. I play only 2 or 3 games a year, but I love it.
So glad to have found your blog!
I loved Graffiti Moon! Glad you did too :o) And how nice of you to donate your hair. I did that a long time ago but I keep it shorter now.
Mickey @ imabookshark
PS – Come visit my introduction? Thanks!
(Hi Jess, thanks for the visit!)
Barrons, hm? Great choice…. I’d be wayyy intimidated by him. lol But oh, that’d be some amazing experience. ^_^
Yayyyy yer a gamer! So I must ask: favorite of all time?
Picking a favorite game is like picking a favorite book! I’d have to pick one from each genre and sub-genre and then there’d be second place and so forth. 🙂
Honestly, I was the biggest fan of The Sims (original) and to this day can sit there for hours building and decorating a house. My daughter loves playing and has issues when it comes to doing that part. So much fun! 🙂
Oh great choice of dinner company! I would love to tag along to that dinner! New follower here via armchair!
That’s awesome that you donated to locks of love! I’ve always wanted to do that but then I chicken out of actually chopping off that much hair at once.
Thanks for stopping by Stiletto Storytime! I too donated to “Locks of Love” a few years ago…it was such a wonderful feeling. I would love to do it again but I have come to love my longer hair an awful lot in the past few years. Thanks for the recommendation of “Grafitti Moon”, I have never heard of that title so I will be adding it to my TBR list immediately…it’s so nice to discover your site. I look forward to interacting with you more this week as Armchair BEA continues!
Courtney
Stiletto Storytime
Hi Jess – I love, love, LOVE your header! So awesome. Just stopping by to say thanks for all you to do help promote books and reading.
Best wishes,
Lisa
Huge fan of paranormal too! I don’t read it now as much as I used to, but I still love it. A good vampire romance, a glass of wine, and a weekend free is the recipe for success. 🙂
It was so nice to meet you! Armchair BEA @ the Brunette Librarian
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I was super excited and that’s why I answered all 10 questions! haha.
It was so great getting to know you more! :]
xo Stephanie
I really am loving your blog! And these little mini interviews are super fun to get to know other bloggers! I just read the first Karen Moning book I can’t remember the name right now and really liked it! I can’t decide between the guys yet though! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by as well!
I love WoW! I don’t play often, because I play Final Fantasy games more. But I love gaming!
First, thanks for stopping by my blog 😀
And O___O I’ve always been intrigued why you people count months instead of years 😀 hehehehe ~mystery~
I’ll have to check your spoilers post then 😀 though I agree…they DO spoil. BIG TIME!
Oh my GOD! I can see where my blog um… daunted?’ you… Yours is so bright!! >.<
Thanks for dropping by my blog! Wow, 4 years of blogging — that’s impressive!! And very cool that you donated to Locks of Love. Your haircut looks wonderful! 🙂
Hi Jess! Your little ones are gorgeous, you must be a proud mummy 🙂 It’s always nice to find a new blog with a similar taste in books and a gamer to boot! Guilty of the Wow addiction here as well, hehe. Nice to meet you 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my post! Nice to virtually meet you! 🙂
Hi nice to meet you!
i totally agree that Barrons would be the best person ever to meet, but he is just so super hot i can see myself being tongue tied the whole time and totally embarrassing myself haha
Agreed. Therefore, I’m not sure I’d do much talking and would probably just stare at him! 😉
Oh, I think I need to read your Spoilters topic b/c I think they spoil, too! Oh, and I still need to read GRAFFITI MOON!!
Way to go for donating for Locks of Love. I did it a few years back and would love to do it again. It was such a wonderful feeling…although I have grown very attached to my newly long hair of late. Thanks so much for visiting me at Stiletto Storytime and for the book recommendation! Have a wonderful Armchair BEA week!
Courtney
Stiletto Storytime
Nice to meet you Jessica!
I agree, spoilers do ruin books, but teasers are excellent!
So many comments for you.
-Love the layout/style and colours of your blog. Very cheerful!
-WAY TO GO on the donation to Locks of Love! YOUR ROCK!
-I’ve always wanted to try WoW and I have played Diablo (only once)… I like games but seem to not have time anymore for them. 🙁
New follower!!