Monday, October 26, 2009

Amanda from Bookshelf Monstrosity


Today, I have my very first interview with Amanda from Bookshelf Monstrosity! Thanks for stopping by, Amanda.




What prompted you to start your blog?
I initially found a book blog while looking for book reviews. I don't even remember which book it was now. That's when I stumbled upon the wonderful world of book blogs. I read them off an on for about a year before I even entertained the notion that I keep one of my own. I took the plunge about a month ago, and I'm really loving it. The book blogging community is an incredibly intelligent and kind one. Everyone is so wonderful!

When did you decide you'd like to be a librarian?
You know what? I really think that it was in the stars for me. I pretended to be a librarian from the time I could hold a book. My mom is a librarian and my dad is a voracious reader also, so I was blessed with a book-nerdish family. I went to college for a music degree, but found that I only wanted music (piano and organ playing) to be a hobby. Reading, however, could only be a way of life for me! I'm halfway through the graduate program and am loving it! I can't wait to be in the library full-time.

What's your favorite genre in books?
Seriously? Gees. I love so many genres. I love historical fiction, biography, literary fiction, the classics, young adult literature, some mysteries...I could go on. I have a pretty eclectic taste in literature. I love stretching out of my comfort zones and discovering whole new areas of literature.

What do you think you'll enjoy most as a librarian?
I am doing an internship at a public high school right now, and there is absolutely nothing like a student telling me that they just loved a book! I love connecting students with more books that they'll enjoy and giving recommendations. Although I'd love to work in any age group, I hope to get a job in the high school age group. I love YA literature.

Do you ever listen to music when you read? If so, what kind?
No, not really. I like to fully concentrate on the book. But, since we're off onto music now....here are some of my favorites in no particular order:

talking heads, bob dylan, white stripes, black keys, bela fleck, ella fitzgerald, billie holiday, bjork, neil young, beatles, warren zevon, built to spill, frank sinatra, david bowie, hank williams, ben folds, beck, phish, arcade fire, the decemberists, kate nash, ghostfinger, liz phair, thelonious monk, fiona apple, tori amos, sufjan stevens, david bowie, broken social scene, pink floyd, velvet underground, blind melon, herbie hancock, the band, radiohead, portishead, seu jorge, dizzy gillespie, imogen heap, of montreal, gillian welch, beatles, cat power, mates of state, neko case, new pornographers, neutral milk hotel, regina spektor, rolling stones, smiths, sonic youth, yeah yeah yeahs.

Okay. I'm stopping now.


If you could tell everyone in the world to read one book, what book and why?
You're killing me! Okay, the book that I'm a bit of an evangelist for has to be The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
This book was talked about quite a bit last month during Banned Book Week, so maybe some of you guys have heard of it or read it already. It is amazing. I suggest you read it. It's an epistolary novel, which I'm not usually wild about, but the format really works well for this one. You will fall for Charlie; he's a wonderfully written character. Fans of Catcher in the Rye should really check out this book.

Closing comments?
Thanks so much for interviewing me. Great questions, Melanie.

Thanks for coming, Amanda.

Be sure to check out Amanda's blog, Bookshelf Monstrosity! Don't forget, if you're a bookish person and would like to be interviewed, just send me an email:

melanies--musings@live.com

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