Jun 4, 2012

Armchair BEA 2012 - Introductions First!


Welcome to Armchair BEA! I really wanted to attend this year. I even have the week off work because I planned on going. But we all know what happened with blogger registration, and I just couldn't forgive it. I know I'm only punishing myself, but I didn't want to spend that much money when I can drive over to ALA in a couple weeks :o) Anyway..

Today is day one, and that means blogger interviews! Instead of interviewing each other like we did last year, we're answering 5 questions and reading everyone else's. I hope everyone had fun participating in this, because I know I did :o) Enjoy!


Q. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?
A. Hey all! I'm Mickey @ I'm A Book Shark, my book blog. I've been blogging for just over a year now, and I got into blogging because I ran across some book blogs in looking into getting paid for reviews. Now I do it for free without the hassle of major deadlines and editing. It's just me and my thoughts, no one to please. I love it!

Q. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?
A. My favorite book so far in 2012 has to be Portia de Rossi's Unbearable Lightness. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did, but it's my one and only 5 star book for this year!

Q. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.
A. Here are a couple things: I'm an extreme couponer. I have my black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I have 9 tattoos and counting.

Q. Where do you see your blog in five years?
A. I have no idea where I'll even see myself in five years, but if I'm lucky enough to be part of this community five years from now, then I hope I appreciate every minute of it. :o)

Q. Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?
A. My tastes have moved to a lot more YA fiction now. Lots of bloggers read those books, so I see so many good ones on Goodreads and in my Twitter feed. I still read adult literature, and I read YA before. But I love it even more now that I blog!


43 comments:

  1. you have 9 tattoos? That's awesome! I've only got the one at the moment, but I'm working on a second one!
    Chelle

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  2. Extreme couponing is fascinating. Even if I have just one coupon, I usually forget to use it. You must be very organized!

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  3. I haven't heard of Unbearable Lightness before I'll make sure to check it out! Black Belt in Taekwondo!!! nice ;) i'd love to learn it myself.

    My Introduction post here

    -Jay
    We Fancy Books

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  4. Thanks for stopping by! 9 tattoos and counting...I always said 1 would do me but now I want another!.

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  5. I haven't read Unbearable Lightness yet but I really want to. I am glad to know that you loved it!

    I am jealous that you are an extreme couponer! I want to do it but I just don't understand how to make it happen! I can't seem to get my hands on all those coupons and I can't figure out all the rules!

    Blogging got me into reading YA too! I really did not realize it was out there before, now I love it!

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  6. Nice to *meet* you. See you around the Armchair world! Meaghan http://mwgerard.com

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  7. Tattooed Couponer.. cool combo! Sorry about your Missed BEA Experience. Now you can sit it out with all of us!!

    My Intro post
    .

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  8. Nice to meet you! What kind of tattoos do you have? I only have 3, but there are many more that I want. :D

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  9. 9 tattoos? Hell yeah! LOL. Also kudos on the couponing... I really should utilize coupons more often.

    Happy ABEA!

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  10. I am hoping that I can get paid for writing reviews too. It would be a great way to supplement retirement income.

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  11. Yay tattoos! I'm hoping to get one too :)

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  12. I wish we had coupons in Australia - it would make grocery shopping so much easier!

    Thanks for stopping by Book'd Out earlier. Have a great Armchair BEA
    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out

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  13. Coool I wand to read unbearable lightness, i heard Ellen talk about it once on her show, sounds really good,
    The Book Mystress, x

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  14. I have pink stripes b/c they are less painful than tattoos. ;) I leave those to my husband. Great post!

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  15. 9 tattoos! I'm at two, but I have at least two or three more that I really want. Have you talked about them elsewhere?

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  16. Where is the best place to get a tattoo that doesn't hurt? I want one (somewhere I can cover up if I need to) that won't hurt a lot. lol I love coupons too. You can save a lot of money!

    It's nice meeting you! I hear ya about the healthy eating. It's hard to find things to bake that aren't loaded with sugar. I have a blog that I keep healthy recipes on. I use it as more of an online cookbook for myself than a blog really. Don't usually advertise it. I play around with the background and header there before I change anything on my book blog so that's why they look the same lol. But here it is if you want some healthy ideas. http://melscookbook425.blogspot.com/

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  17. While I liked your interview a bit better last year :? it's always fun visiting the book shark. Of course, if I was interviewing you again, I would be forced to ask you just how you use your Tae Kwon Do during Extreme Couponing.

    And 9 tatoos. You have totally outclassed me in the cool department.

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  18. Unbearable Lightness is on my list. Glad you liked it. Also, I admire those couponers! It's not my thing, but you go girl! Nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great BEA!

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  19. wow you're a black belt?! I'm so impressed!! I can hardly kick, much less defend myself. You sound like a total bad ass! It was nice meeting you, Mickey.

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  20. Congrats on your first year of book blogging! I loved getting to meet you and read more about you!

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  21. We completely on reviews for the blog being so much more relaxed than writing for a paper or other paid source. I have a deadline staring me down right now and what I really want to read/review is not those books! :)
    Thankfully, my paper does the basic editing for me.

    So nice to "meet" you! I am off to see if I have Unbearable Lightness on my Kindle yet.

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  22. My sister is getting into extreme couponing and I just can't seem to wrap my head around it! ;)

    Fun to get to know you through this post. I'm guessing that there are many many bloggers who are reading more YA now than they did before. It only accounts for a small fraction of my reading but I wasn't aware of it before!

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  23. Oy, coupons! I clip them or save them and then forget to use them! Or they sit in my wallet for a year or two.

    I'm big into YA but I too read an adult book every once in a while. :)

    Thanks for stopping by my Armchair BEA post!!

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  24. I'm a new blogger and a bit nervous about if people even care about me and my thoughts on books I've read. But seeing how confident you are and how far you've come, it's an assurance that blogging is worth it!

    http://pearlsofgreatworth.blogspot.com/

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  25. 9 Tattoos and an Extreme couponer? :) How stinkin' awesome is that?

    So wonderful to "meet" you and thank you for stopping by. Today has just been like the awesomest meet and greet ever! :) Armchair BEA @ the Brunette Librarian

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  26. Great interview! :) I love that you started reading more YA now that you've started blogging more! It was the same thing with me! :)

    Thanks fot stopping by! :)

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  27. Dude, book shark is pretty fantastic as a thing. And yeah, I've noticed something of an abundance of YA reviews on book blogs...seems like it'd be easy to find new books that way. ;)

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  28. Oh, I didn't even think of sharing a tattoo fact!! I have 7 and counting... they are addicting! ;)

    I have though about reading Unbearable Lightness, but haven't had a chance to pick it up. Sounds like a good one!

    PS - We are definitely going next year! :-D

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  29. Extreme couponing?? Thats friggen awesome! I need to get into that to save me some money! :) Thank you for stopping by my blog!

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  30. Hi Mickey! Great to know more about you! I've already got some great book recs from you. Definitely trying to get my hands on a copy of Succubus Blues =))
    Also - yay tattoos. I only have one right now - but there are two that I wanted to get, like yesterday - and two ideas that I'm mulling over.

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  31. Hey Mickey! I admire you for the tattoos alone! One, they last forever, two, my husband recently got one, and we're talking, 4 hours for one session, 6 hours each for the last two sessions, one more session to go. Me? I have needle phobia, I can't take 30 seconds with a needle for a blood test or a vaccine, let alone 6 hours straight for the sake of art. I'd pass out before the needle touched my skin.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing, I have a whole new appreciation for you!

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  32. Wow - 9 tats! The purple feathers in my hair is about as far as I'm going. No needles for this girl.

    Thanks for participating!

    Here's my intro

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks

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  33. So nice to meet you!

    I'm glad you have found yourself reading more YA. I love it!

    Remind me to never get on your bad side. You and your black belt will kick my no belt tushy! HAH! :)

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  34. I am such a bad bad couponer! I forget about them and then they expire. Oops! 9 tattoos, holy smokes! I have 3, not sure if I'll get more.
    But I DO have a total of 13 ear piercings and one eyebrow piercing that is determined to never close.
    Hope you have a great week and sorry you couldn't go!

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  35. NINE tattoos? Mickey, girl, that is awesome. I wish I had the guts to get even ONE! :D

    Thanks so much for dropping by the blog.

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  36. I'm with you--I can't even picture myself five years from now (38! Ack! Knocking on 40!), much less picture what my blog will be like! I hope we're both happy, wherever we may be!

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  37. Portia's book is that good, adding to Wishlist for sure, thanks for that.

    Glad your interested in Thrill Week, yaaay.

    9 tattoos, your past me. I have 4, definitely more to come.

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  38. 9 tattoos? I'm so jealous!! I have three with two more planned.

    I hope you enjoy the week! IMO, it's even better than going to NYC because of the expense of going and not having tired feet by the end of the event!

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  39. I had a brief foray into Tae Kwon Do I got my green tip :P It was fun but I can't stay serious enough and am a bit too goofy for the whole martial arts thing I decided :)

    Hope you enjoy Armchair BEA!

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  40. An extreme couponer AND a black belt!! I DARE anyone to come try to take your coupons!! :D

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  41. I know nothing about Portia de Rossi, we're a little tv-deprived here in Japan. But this sounds like a great book, thanks for recommending it!

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  42. It is so good to "meet" you!!! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting on my site. I am definitely adding you to my Reader, if not for the 9 tattoos and counting comment!! :)

    I look forward to commenting so much more around here and chatting with you on Twitter!! :)

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  43. Wow lots to say! 9 tattoos? I'm jealous because I still haven't gone to get my first and probably only one... might never make it to get it. LOL

    And I have wanted to read Portia de Rossi's book, perhaps I will see if the library has it. :)

    Extreme couponing? I've been trying, but am not very successful... any tips?

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Thanks so much for leaving a comment! It means a lot!! Happy Reading!!