Interview with Jessica from Booked Up!

On the blog today is an interview with Jessica from Booked Up! Jessica is one of my favourite bloggers and 

Hi Lucy! I’m so excited to be on Read, Write, Sleep, Eat!
Aw, thank you! I think I got my inspiration when I was looking at Luisa Plaja’s book website, Chicklish. I remember thinking how amazing it would be to have a book website, and decided to make one when I was older. However, then I clicked on a link that to took me to a book blog, and I realised the girl running it was even younger than me! If someone around my age had a book blog now, why should I wait to make my own? So I created Booked Up! , my first ever blog. I’m so happy I did!

2. If you could compare yourself to any fictional book character, who would it be?

Interesting question! Maybe Edie from the Threads series. Edie is a blogger (ditto), does her best to be a good friend, looks out for others and is a big animal-lover (Bingo!) and charity-giver (I volunteer at a dog shelter). I would love to be like Edie, she’s such a sweet character. Sure, I would love to compare myself to someone fiery and determined like Katniss Everdeen, but I don’t see myself that way.

3. Booked Up turns one this month! Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

Eeeek! I can’t believe my blogoversary has come round so quickly! Just a couple of days to go now! To answer your question, I think I would just like to go back in time (after building my time machine) and tell myself not to worry if nobody seems to be looking at my blog, and not to get upset if I don’t get many followers at first. Eventually your blog will get noticed and these things take time. Besides, book blogging is about having a good time, not some popularity contest!

Suzanne Collins I don’t own!

4. If you could be the author of any book, what would it be?

I would love to have been the author behind The Hunger Games. Who wouldn’t? Just imagine how phenomenal it must feel when you get told your book is excellent, and is being turned into a major movie that becomes a big success. I would love to get fan mail! It would also be super to have written anything from Julie Kagawa. Julie Kagawa has such an incredible imagination, and has produced some wonderful books, like The Iron Fey.

5. When you started blogging, did you expect to be where you are today?

No way. Not a chance. Never in a million years did I believe Booked Up! could ever get more than ten, maybe twenty followers tops. I never thought I would have so many new blogging friends (which is a MASSIVE bonus with blogging) and I wouldn’t even dream of receiving so many review books from publishers. I’m so lucky to be where I am now, and incredibly grateful for all the support I’ve had this past year.

6. What are your favourite book blogs?

This may take a while. I’m a big fan of Read, Write, Sleep, Eat, of course! I also enjoy visiting Blog of a Bookaholic run by Kyra, Never Judge a Book by its Cover run by Emma, Booktastic Reviews created by Rachel, Bookster Reviews owned by Cliona, Bookhi from Zoe and Singing and Reading in the Rain run by Eileen. I also really, really miss Ria’s blog, The Beaucoup Review. All of those blogs are run by teenage girls like myself, and I get along really well with all of them. If there’s ever a bloggy question I need answering, I go to one of them straight away. If I finish an awesome book, I fangirl about it with them before I do anything else. They are wonderful bloggers and fantastic friends!

7. Do you have any advice to give to future book bloggers?
If you’re planning on starting a book blog, you just need to be passionate about what you are doing. As long as you are dedicated to your new blog, and put the time and effort in to it, you’ll be fine! Remember to always find your spare reading time, chat to your followers and get to know them, and enjoy the experience that blogging brings! Blogging should never turn into a chore, but if it does, I always recommend taking a short break. Just always have fun running your own book blog, and never let it stress you out to the point where you don’t have pleasure from running it!

Book (I’m mean!)? Seriously?! Lucy, you can be so cruel! Okay, just give me five minutes to think…tick tock….Well, my favourite book changes all the times, but at the moment I would have to say Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. That book is something special, and it deserves all of the awards it’s won. Basically, it’s about racism and it tells the story of a Cross and a nought falling in love, despite society constantly trying to tear them apart. The ending was so blunt and made me cry my eyes out. This book had such an impact on me, and I hope that everyone reads it at some point in their lives.
TV Programme? The Big Bang Theory or Friends! I’m a massive fan of anything feel-good and funny, and so obviously I love both of those.
Sport? A couple of years ago I was the top runner in our county, so I guess running. I don’t really compete in it anymore though, and love fast-paced sport like Dodgeball!
 Book Boyfriend? Can I just say BEST QUESTION EVER! But there are just so many to pick from! So I’m going to break your rules and name several, hehe! Shane from The Morganville Vampires series, Sam from Shiver, Callum from Noughts & Crosses, Ash and Puck from The Iron Fey and Noah from Pushing the Limits! Sorry, they just all deserved a mention for being so gorgeous! Their only fault is that they are not real.
Subject at school? English, definitely.
Song? This changes every week. Right now it’s I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift.
Food? I’ve got to be typical and say Pizza and Chips! With chocolate-covered ice cream for desert!