Hello and welcome to another Book Blogger Interrogation! I have had the pleasure of getting to know a number of very cool book bloggers from all over the blogosphere. I thought it would be fun to put them under the heat lamp so to speak and get some answers to some fun questions. Today I want you to meet JHS from Colloquium
1.Tell me the number one reason you love to read.
Reading is relaxing. I have a very stressful career. Reading a compelling work of fiction allows me to completely distance myself from the demands of my job and life . . . for a little while. It’s refreshing and rejuvenating.
2.What is it about sharing your reviews that keeps you going?
The most rewarding comments are those received from the authors whose work I review. Recently, I reviewed “The Perfect Family,” a fictional work that was very personal to its author, Kathryn Shay. She was pleased and gratified by my reaction to the book. In turn, I was happy that I experienced her book in the way she hoped readers would and was able to validate her hard work.
Of course, it doesn’t always turn out that way. But so far, there has been only one occasion when I simply could not find anything good to say about a book I reviewed. It was a disaster that should never have been published because the author was simply not qualified to opine about the subject matter – and was a very bad writer, to boot. I hope that never occurs again. Most of the time, especially when dealing with fictional works, some aspect of the reading experience was enjoyable.
Of late, I’ve been contacted by a couple of authors who asked me to review their books because they happened upon my site and enjoyed reading my reviews. Obviously, that’s flattering and inspiring.
3.Who is your all-time favorite author?
I could not name just one because there are so many whose work I enjoy: Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Jan Karon, Janet Evanovich, Nancy Thayer, Gregory Maguire, . . .
4.What is your all-time favorite book (single or series)?
Again, I could never pick just one! I love Jan Karon’s Mitford series about Father Tim and his adventures. I am also a huge Janet Evanovich fan: Stephanie Plum and the rest of the characters are so much fun. I am definitely a Ranger woman.
Probably “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the book that most influenced me as a child/young adult. I wanted to be the female Atticus Finch when I grew up.
5.If you could pick one fictional character and bring them to life, who would it be?
Again, probably Atticus Finch. Imagine the conversation we could have about our cases!
6.Do you always finish a book, even if you know you don’t like it half way in? Most of the time, although I recently gave up on a nonfiction book. I just couldn’t get through it because the writer’s style was so laborious and plodding.
7.Do you own an eReader? If yes, why? If no, why not?
No! Between work and home, I spend enough time using computers. I want to hold a book in my hand. I want to highlight, make notes in the margins, bend the corner of the page if I want to, and smell the paper.
8.What is your all-time single favorite genre to read?
Fiction geared toward women. I like to read about relationships, families, and how people evolve over time as a result of their life experiences.
9.Here’s your chance to plug your book review blog, twitter, facebook, etc. You know, make a general plea for people to like you…
At Colloquium (http://www.jhsiess.com/), I write comprehensive reviews. Some people might argue that they are too lengthy, verbose. But I believe a writer puts so much effort into crafting an enjoyable, memorable experience for his/her readers that I owe him/her a thoughtful, purposeful review of the result.
I’ve been fortunate to host a few authors’ guest posts and interviews, as well as some book giveaways. There are some great events upcoming so I encourage all of your readers to stop by for a visit and subscribe!!
Reading is relaxing. I have a very stressful career. Reading a compelling work of fiction allows me to completely distance myself from the demands of my job and life . . . for a little while. It’s refreshing and rejuvenating.
2.What is it about sharing your reviews that keeps you going?
The most rewarding comments are those received from the authors whose work I review. Recently, I reviewed “The Perfect Family,” a fictional work that was very personal to its author, Kathryn Shay. She was pleased and gratified by my reaction to the book. In turn, I was happy that I experienced her book in the way she hoped readers would and was able to validate her hard work.
Of course, it doesn’t always turn out that way. But so far, there has been only one occasion when I simply could not find anything good to say about a book I reviewed. It was a disaster that should never have been published because the author was simply not qualified to opine about the subject matter – and was a very bad writer, to boot. I hope that never occurs again. Most of the time, especially when dealing with fictional works, some aspect of the reading experience was enjoyable.
Of late, I’ve been contacted by a couple of authors who asked me to review their books because they happened upon my site and enjoyed reading my reviews. Obviously, that’s flattering and inspiring.
3.Who is your all-time favorite author?
I could not name just one because there are so many whose work I enjoy: Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Jan Karon, Janet Evanovich, Nancy Thayer, Gregory Maguire, . . .
4.What is your all-time favorite book (single or series)?
Again, I could never pick just one! I love Jan Karon’s Mitford series about Father Tim and his adventures. I am also a huge Janet Evanovich fan: Stephanie Plum and the rest of the characters are so much fun. I am definitely a Ranger woman.
Probably “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the book that most influenced me as a child/young adult. I wanted to be the female Atticus Finch when I grew up.
5.If you could pick one fictional character and bring them to life, who would it be?
Again, probably Atticus Finch. Imagine the conversation we could have about our cases!
6.Do you always finish a book, even if you know you don’t like it half way in? Most of the time, although I recently gave up on a nonfiction book. I just couldn’t get through it because the writer’s style was so laborious and plodding.
7.Do you own an eReader? If yes, why? If no, why not?
No! Between work and home, I spend enough time using computers. I want to hold a book in my hand. I want to highlight, make notes in the margins, bend the corner of the page if I want to, and smell the paper.
8.What is your all-time single favorite genre to read?
Fiction geared toward women. I like to read about relationships, families, and how people evolve over time as a result of their life experiences.
9.Here’s your chance to plug your book review blog, twitter, facebook, etc. You know, make a general plea for people to like you…
At Colloquium (http://www.jhsiess.com/), I write comprehensive reviews. Some people might argue that they are too lengthy, verbose. But I believe a writer puts so much effort into crafting an enjoyable, memorable experience for his/her readers that I owe him/her a thoughtful, purposeful review of the result.
I’ve been fortunate to host a few authors’ guest posts and interviews, as well as some book giveaways. There are some great events upcoming so I encourage all of your readers to stop by for a visit and subscribe!!
I hope you all enjoyed getting to know JHS from Colloquium, come back next week to read MY ANSWERS TO THE INTEROGATION QUESTIONS!
Really cool interview. I think it's nice that people want her to review their books. What an honor!
ReplyDeleteCD
Very nice interview! We share some favorite authors....
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for interviewing me and highlighting my site! I very much appreciate it. It is so important for bloggers to be supportive and encouraging of each other, and you always do a great job at elevating others. You are an inspiration to us all.
ReplyDeleteJHS
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