BBAW - Interview

This is about as much fun as I have had in quite some time - I mean, you get a bunch of readers and bloggers together, and how could it not be fun?!! Today's event is swapping interviews with other bloggers and I knew from the start that it would be delightful.

So without further blathering from me, I am excited to introduce Heather @ Age 30+...A Lifetime of Books. Heather is a very active blogger reading a wide range of books. In 2009, Heather won Best History/Historical Fiction Blog.

1. To get started, tell us a little about yourself. What do you do when you are not reading and blogging?

I’m a wife and a mom and lots of other things so of course my life is crazy busy. Most of my non-bookish time is spent with my 8 year old son Kiddo – boy, does he ever keep me on my toes!

2. I have to admit that I have never listened to an audio book! I see from your blog that you review them frequently. Which audio book should I listen to first so that I will fall in love with the medium?

That’s a really hard question to answer since it depends on your reading tastes. The key to enjoying audiobooks is twofold: to find a book you are ALREADY interested in and then to make sure the narrator is one whose voice you enjoy – that will usually guarantee success. After looking at some of the books you’ve reviewed on your blog I’d suggest two things. First, try out the Harry Potter audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale. Since you’ve read the books and seen the movies, you can compare the experience to both of those. Plus, these are some of the best audiobooks out there in my opinion. Since you also read and enjoyed The Survivor’s Club, my second suggestion would be Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers: The Story of Success. I’m a huge fan of non-fiction audiobooks, and this one seems like a good fit for you. Thank you for your guidance and suggestions. Now at least I know where to start!

3. Tell us about the best book you have read that was totally outside your normal choices.

I’d have to say The Horse Boy, by Rupert Isaacson. I don’t generally read memoirs or books dealing with special needs issues, so this was not something I’d have picked up on my own. However, it was an incredibly moving book and extremely well-written. (And it was a audiobook as well!) I’ve been recommending it to everyone since I finished it.

4. I see you are participating in the Lost Challenge? Which lost character are you? Why?

I’m actually one of the co-hosts of the Lost Challenge – which, by the way, is still going on despite the end of the series. :) I’d say I’m probably most like Juliet. I always want everyone to get along and I’m always trying to do the right thing.

5. What three things do you love (reading doesn’t count, or blogging!)?

Watching Kiddo excel at ice hockey and seeing how much he truly enjoys it
Doing family history research, either online or by interviewing family members
Spending time on the beach in the sun and sand, with the sound of waves continually crashing

6. What would the name of your autobiography be?

I Find Myself Interesting … You May Not Agree Now that is funny! I think you are quite interesting!

7. I love the idea of Mom and Son reading. What is the best book you and your son have read?

The one that generated the funniest answers during our Q&A was definitely Diary of a Wombat, by Jackie French. But the “best” book we’ve read together was The Ark, The Reed, and the Fire Cloud, by Jenny Cote. It was a huge book and took a very long time to read, but the story was fun and it was quite a challenge to try to do all the accents in that book!

8. Are you a cat person or a dog person – or maybe a neither person?

I’m a bit of both. At the moment we are without a pet (other than a fish) because both our two dogs passed away over the past few years. I’d love to have cats again like I did as a child but both Hubby and Kiddo are very allergic. And our schedule is so busy that we’re hardly home right now, so I don’t think it’s fair to get another dog just yet. But I’d love to have something furry to cuddle up with each day, be it a dog or a cat. We have three chihuahuas but I long for one cat - I am the one who is now allergic after a lifetime of cuddling!

9. What book should I rush out to buy if I don’t already have it?

You should absolutely get the illustrated version of Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown. This is a must read book for everyone.

10. When people visit your blog, what do you hope they leave with?

I hope they are excited about reading and that they find reviews of some books that they haven’t seen on other blogs. And I always hope that they’ll leave with the desire to visit me again! I certainly left with that feeling - I will be back again and again!

Thank you, thank you for talking with me!!