Interview with Emily from Emily's Reading Room

For Utah Book Month, I interviewed Emily of Emily's Reading Room, a fabulous blog primarily featuring YA with some other genres smattered in as well. Emily has a fabulous blog and writes insightful, honest reviews, and it was fun to get to know her a little better! Unfortunately I was unable to get to a computer yesterday due to some unforeseen circumstances, so I am posting this interview a day late. Sorry for any confusion!

1. You primarily read young adult fiction. What drew you to this genre? Do you like to read other genres as well?

I read young adult fiction because I like it, truthfully. I think the characters are at an age where there is a lot of freedom to do things that may not be possible in adult literature. I do read other genres occasionally. I have been known to read a biography by David McCullough from time to time or an adult novel.  

2. What lead you to begin writing a blog in the first place?

I started a blog as a way to recommend books that I was reading to my friends and family. It's grown since then to include my internet friends as well, but I still think my primary function is to recommend great books to everyone. 

3. Do you have a favorite book? What do you like about it?

I have so many. I love anything by Shannon Hale for it's beautiful writing and simple charm. Her heroines are some of my absolute favorite.
 

4. Do you have any "deal-breakers" with books that cause you to not like them? What about "deal-makers" -- certain elements that almost always mean you'll like a book?

Insta-love is definitely a deal-breaker for me (in most cases, but not always). I like my romances to have a lot of sacrifice and self-respect. It makes them all the more satisfying. So, I guess my deal-maker is a romance with characters that I WANT to beat all the odds or just work it out so that they can be together. 

5. How do you balance blogging and reading with the other aspects of your life?

I am not doing this very well right now, truthfully. I work full-time, have a family, and am starting school in January. I've learned to just let things go and not stress about it when I have to let blogging take a backseat. I always come back to it, and thankfully, it seems like no one misses me all that much. :) 

6. Do you have any advice for new bloggers?

Don't let your blog become a chore or a burden. If you need to step away for awhile, it's completely fine. It will always be here for you if you ever decide to come back. And, take things at your own pace. 

7. If you could trade places with any book character for a day, who would it be and why?

Elizabeth Bennet I suppose. I'd love to live at Pemberly. And, because I'm watching the movie right now.

8. Other than blogging and reading, what do you like to do?

I have a dozen chickens, and I like tending to them, playing with my daughter, and building computers. 

9. Because this is Utah Book Month, what is your favorite thing about living in Utah?

I love being by my family, and the gorgeous mountains. I didn't appreciate them fully until I was an adult, but they are beautiful. 

10. Anything else you'd like people to know about you and/or your blog?

I have 3 other bloggers besides myself that work on Emily's Reading Room. They are Andy, Anna Rose, and Kylie. We have such a great time reading and writing about books!