Be My Guest: Bree from 1 Girl 2 Many Books

I visit Bree's blog pretty much every day. She's a super fast reader (I'm jealous of how quickly she gets through books!) and always has new, thoughtful and in-depth reviews up. She's made me want to read so many books - including Good Oil and Holier Than Thou by Laura Buzo, Speechless by Hannah Harrington, Mary Bennet by Jennifer Paynter, Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty and The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth. She's also awesome to chat to on Twitter and Goodreads.

 

What are we eating and drinking at this party?
It’s stinking hot here (I never thought I’d say this, but I’d really like to wave summer goodbye and say hello to autumn) so definitely drinking something summery/fruity with LOTS of ice. So daiquiris or pina coladas maybe (virgin or alcoholic, we have both!). And there’s chocolate, because there always has to be chocolate! And Weis Bars! All of the Weis Bars.  

What part of the world do you hail from, and what's something not many people would know about that place? 
I’m from a town on the Mid North Coast in NSW… it has a secluded nudist beach that you may stumble upon because it’s part of a walking track that goes from one end of the town beaches to the other. Oh and Toni Collette likes to holiday there. 

Tell us one random fact about yourself.  
Every year I buy this amazing new diary with the aim of writing in it every day. And yeah, that lasts for about 2-3wks before it gets sporadic and then….nothing. I have a stack of unfilled diaries!   

What do you do when you're not reading/blogging?
 Look after my two boys (who are 4 and 1), take photographs, write and if I can get a spare hour or two to myself then I have to admit, I am a total sucker for shopping. One thing I am not doing is housework.   

What kind of books do you read, and what is your ultimate favourite? I read a fair bit of everything except for non-fiction. I do read some but 99.9% of my reads are fiction. Probably what I read the most is contemporary fiction and YA. My most favouritest book ever is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Timeless – and even reading this for school couldn’t ruin it for me.   

Describe your blog in three words. 
How I feel.  

What is your favourite thing about your blog/blogging?  
My favourite thing about blogging is actually other bloggers! It’s a lovely added bonus of getting my thoughts down to find people who feel the same way about books.  

What post or review are you most proud of, and why? I think probably my review of Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta because it’s a miracle that it made sense after the way that book affected me.   

What are your top three favourite book blogs, and why?  
Really, Belle?! Just 3? I have close to 100 that I read every day including this one of course! I actually try to answer this question differently each time I’m asked because of the fact that I do read so many! I love Shannon over at Giraffe Days – her reviews are always very insightful and detailed and she always has me adding books to my TBR pile. The girls at The Broke & the Bookish for their fun lists and interaction and Lauren over at The Australian Bookshelf. We like a lot of the same types of books and it’s always nice to discuss them and get some different perspectives.   

Can you think of a time another blogger's review made you actually buy/borrow/read a book?
To be honest, there are a lot of reviews I’ve read that have made me purchase a book! It’s probably how I acquire at least a third, if not more of my books. But I think the one that comes to mind recently was a review of The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion. And I loved it.   

What were the first and the last books that made you... 

 -Laugh. First one that I can remember really laughing my ass off in was One For The Money by Janet Evanovich, many a year ago. The last one was The Rosie Project.
 
-Cry. First would be Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian, and the most recent is probably Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty.  

-Throw it across the room in fury. I don’t like to throw books but reading In The Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje for school made me pretty mad. And the fury has lasted until this day because I cannot pick up another Ondaatje. The most recent one was Regan’s Pride by Diana Palmer. I get mad just thinking about it.
 
-Push it onto others. I’m a notorious book pusher. I push lots of books onto everyone but I probably started with the early Stephanie Plum novels because I loved them hardcore 12 or so years ago. Most recently - The Girl In The Hard Hat by Loretta Hill.

 -Stay up til 2am reading. I used to do this a lot when I was a lazy uni student. Now that I have little people who demand attention each morning, not so much. The last book that I remember doing this with was Good Oil by Laura Buzo.  

Thanks for being my awesome guest Bree!

Be My Guest: Stephanie from Read in a Single Sitting

Read in a Single Sitting was one of the very first book blogs I discovered - and Stephanie was the first ever commenter on my blog! So I'm definitely honoured to have her as my guest today. Stephanie always posts insightful, thoughtful and in-depth reviews for a range of books, from The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum and Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery to We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver and Tantony by Ananda Braxton-Smith. She also does some great, informative features like her themed lists and publishing news. If you want to stalk her like I do, you can find her on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Now on with the fun...

What are we eating and drinking at this party?
Double espressos and chocolate so dark that it's positively astringent. Or we could have the best of both worlds with chocolate-covered coffee beans!
 
What part of the world do you hail from, and what's something not many people would know about that place?
I'm from Melbourne, Australia. You might not know that Melbourne has a flourishing tango scene, a market that's reputed to be haunted, a wonderful art deco cinema with its own special cinema cat, and that it was once the home to a chocolatier whose fame and achievements were not unlike those of Willy Wonka! I could talk about Melbourne all day—it's probably dangerous to get me started.
 
Tell us one random fact about yourself.
I absolutely cannot stand the smell of bacon and egg McMuffins. And for some reason, whenever I'm in a lift, someone is always eating one. Why, world, why?

What do you do when you're not reading/blogging?
I'm a freelancer and author, so I'm basically here at my computer! You can also find me dancing tango several nights a week, or catching an arty movie with my poor long-suffering husband.

What kind of books do you read, and what is your ultimate favourite? 
Literary fiction and middle grade fiction are my two great loves, but I'll happily dip my toe into most genres. There are many books that I adore, but the one that I keep forcing on to others is The Three Loves of Persimmon by Cassandra Golds. I can't help but feel that that book was written just for me.

Describe your blog in three words.
Verbose, ambitious, analytical.

What is your favourite thing about your blog/blogging?
I love that blogging has opened up so many avenues for me as a writer and author. I'm always amazed at the relationships that I've been able to develop, and that people have a genuine respect for and appreciation of bloggers. I also love that I have a record of everything that I've read over the past few years—it's fascinating to be able to go back and see how I've changed and developed as a reader.

What post or review are you most proud of, and why?
I'm quite fond of my The Story Girl and Anne – Why We Need MoreQuiet Books post; my post on whether buying second-hand books makes us bad people; and my post on culling my book collection. These seem to have resonated with other readers, which is always nice. :)

What are your top three favourite book blogs, and why?
I enjoy The Uncustomary Book Review for its, um, uncustomary book reviews. I love that the reviews are written as a given book is being read rather than after, as I think that it lends them a certain sense of curiosity and discovery.


BrainPickings isn't a review blog as such, but I adore the curious tidbits that Maria Popova manages to dig up and share with her readers. If you're after strange and wonderful pieces and extracts on all sorts of arcane topics, you'll love this site.


TheWalker Books Walk-A-Book blog is wonderful as well. It features a variety of guest posts from authors, editors, and other bookish people, and it's utterly inspiring.

Can you think of a time another blogger's review made you actually buy/borrow/read a book?
Hmm, not a particular review as such, but I've definitely bought, borrowed and read books based on recommendations from fellow bloggers over Twitter and in the comments on my site. I have I Capture the Castle to read thanks to Violet from Still Life in Books, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it. :)

What was the last book that made you...
-Laugh. Shaun Micallef's Preincarnate. Absolutely hilarious.

-Cry. Hmm, not quite cry, but I was definitely feeling pretty emotional by the edge of Michael Kimball's Big Ray.

-Throw it across the room in fury. The Forsaken by Lisa M Stasse. My review of that one is just a wee bit grumpy...

-Push it onto others. The Emperess of Ireland by Christopher Robbins. I have a friend who's enjoying it as we speak!

-Stay up til 2am reading. Robert Cormier's I Am The Cheese. Cormier always keeps me up late!


Thanks for joining me Steph! Here is the embarrassing part where I admit I've never been to Melbourne. It sounds delightful though, hopefully I get down there this year!

Be My Guest: Michelle From Maree's Musings

Today I have Michelle Maree from Maree's Musings as my guest. I was lucky enough to meet Michelle yesterday (along with lots of other awesome bloggers) and she is just as lovely in real life as she is online. She has a gorgeous blog which showcases her love of books as well as movies, TV and music - especially The Beatles. She's made me want to read so many books, including All This Could End by Steph Bowe, the Girl Heart Boy series, Saltwater Vampires by Kirsty Eager, This is Shyness by Leanne Hall and Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

What are we eating and drinking at this party?
I'm thinking milkshakes. My favourite flavour is lime and banana, I know, it's kinda crazy, but so yummy! And I think we need TimTams to eat! We always need chocolate. Always.

What part of the world do you hail from, and what's something not many people would know about that place?
I'm from a town in Central Queensland called Rockhampton, which loves to call itself the beef capital of Australia. We have a Beef Week every three years and a pub with a bull riding ring inside. It is a pretty awesome pub. We also have bull statues all over town with puns like 'remove-a-bull' and 'contain-a-bull' written on them at local businesses.

Tell us one random fact about yourself.
I am super protective/paranoid about my books being kept in good (read: perfect) condition.

What do you do when you're not reading/blogging?
At the moment I'm studying at university, so really I don't do anything else. It's basically reading for uni and then reading for fun and relaxation. I used to enjoy crafts but since moving out of home I haven't really had the chance to do anything.

What kind of books do you read, and what is your ultimate favourite?
I love contemporary young adult, that is by far my favourite genre. However, I do try and read as much YA as possible because there are so many good books out there. Since I started blogging I've found books I love  thatI never would have thought of reading before and that has been a really lovely experience. It's hard to pick an ultimate favourite, but I think it would probably be the entire Harry Potter series.

Describe your blog in three words.
Books. Beatles. Rambling.

What is your favourite thing about your blog/blogging?
It is definitely the wonderful people I have met. A lot of my friends at uni don't read the same types of books as me, so it has been lovely to find people who love the same books I do. There are certain bloggers who have such similar tastes to me that I can pretty much always email them and vent my feelings about a book. The best bit is they usually feel the same! It certainly makes reading even more fun.

I've also really enjoyed developing my writing style. As a journalism student the experience of book blogging has been invaluable to me and has made me more confident in myself and my writing ability. 

What post or review are you most proud of, and why?
I have to say my review of Every Day by David Levithan. I find it really hard to write reviews of books I didn't like and I feel like I justified everything I didn't like in this review without sounding too snarky. Well, I hope that's the case anyway!

 

I am also really proud of the joint reviews Mands and I have written for Scarlet and Beauty Queens. Mands and I have such similar taste when it comes to books that it was really fun to write these reviews together. We are planning many more joint reviews this year!

What are your top three favourite book blogs, and why?
Not including Belle's Bookshelf, my top three blogs are Wordchasing, Wear the Old Coat and Vegan YA Nerds. I love all the blogs on the sidebar of my blog, but these three (and yours) are the ones I tend to turn to first for recommendations simply because we all have similar tastes.

Can you think of a time another blogger's review made you actually buy/borrow/read a book?
The four blogs above encourage me to read so many books. Almost every book Mands reviews I end up wanting to read (if I haven't already). Not only does she encourage my book buying addiction, she sends me books to add to my overflowing shelves! But I am very grateful :)

Jo's review of Keren David's When I Was Joe made me want to read the series - I still have one book to go, but I am loving it so far and I never would have known about it were it not for Jo's review. I also bought some books based on two of Jo's reviews (The Earth Hums in B Flat and All Fall Down) but have yet to read them. Rey's recent Five Reasons to Read: The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper has got me very interested in this series.

Name the first and last books that made you...
-Laugh.

First: I honestly have no idea! I mean, I've been avidly reading books since I was very young so I can't definitively say what the first book was. However, there is one book which sticks in my mind as having made me laugh so hard I actually got an asthma attack and that was Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella. I think I really need to buy a copy so I can read it when I'm feeling a bit down.

Last: The last was The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay by Rebecca Sparrow. This was so, so much fun to read, but I also felt a real connection with both the characters and the Brisbane setting.

-Cry.

First: I rarely cry in books actually, but the first was probably in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when *SPOILER ALERT* Dobby dies. That part still has me SOBBING in the movie. Always.

Actually, that whole book had me bawling.

Last: The last was definitely the gorgeous Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield. I loved this book so much. LOVED IT. But Ms Wakefield just broke my heart into tiny little pieces.

-Throw them across the room in fury.

First: I think maybe Breaking Dawn. Actually, the entire Twilight series. Oh, how I wish I could get those months of my life back!

Last: I'd have to say Praise by Andrew McGahan. I found this to be vile. I was so glad I could just skim it, but there is no way I would have read it had it not been for a uni class.

-Push them onto others.

First: It was definitely Matthew Reilly's Seven Ancient Wonders - the first in the Jack West Jr. series. I pushed this onto my best friend (who had got me hooked on Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider Series) and she loved it. Actually, and this is kind of embarrassing, she has now read all of Mr Reilly's books while I have only read the Jack West Jr. series. I need to get my act together!

Last: Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris. Kim from Two Girls and a Novel and I were talking about what books we were planning to read next on Twitter when I mentioned I'd soon be reading the second book in the series. Kim had Unravelling on her list anyway, so decided that would be her next book. I'm very glad to say she loved it!

-Stay up till 2am reading.

First: I'd say it was one of the Harry Potter books, but I can't be certain.

Last: The last was Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. Gosh, I have so much love for this book and this author. I can't wait to read the rest of her work!

Thanks for being my guest Michelle!

Be My Guest: Kayleigh from Nylon Admiral

This week I'd like to welcome Kayleigh from Nylon Admiral for Be My Guest. Kayleigh writes awesome reviews for an eclectic range of books like Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Book Store by Robin Sloan, and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. She also finds fun Monday Links and does amazing crafty things like these DIY Harry Potter wands and this Christmassy baking. Take it away Kayleigh!

What are we eating and drinking at this party?
Since I'm rereading Harry Potter it'd have to be as close to one of their amazing feasts as possible! Everyone's favourite foods would cover the tables, plus LOTS of Butterbeer, and all the sweets mentioned in the books, fizzing whizbees, chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans with the gross ones already picked out). We'd finish the night feeling very, very happy but about 5kg heavier!
 

What part of the world do you hail from, and what's something not many people would know about that place?
I've lived all over Australia and in Hong Kong but I spent the biggest portion of my childhood in Cairns, which is a tropical town in North Queensland. There's a series of waterholes and waterfalls called crystal cascades that are something of a local secret. They're a gazillion times nicer than the beaches (which are like swimming in a warm bath), gorgeous and so fresh you can drink the water as you swim!
 

Tell us one random fact about yourself.
I'm an avid Dungeons and Dragons player. I only got into it two years ago, but it's become a weekly occurrence for my merry band of friends.

What do you do when you're not reading/blogging?
I'm a PhD student, writing my thesis about zombies in Asian film and how the genre changes in a new cultural environment. It's easily the most fun I've had, but also one of the most frustrating and stressful! 

What kind of books do you read, and what is your ultimate favourite?
I'll read just about anything but I tend to favour the dark realism of Warren Ellis, Irvine Welsh and Hunter S. Thompson with a dash of fantastical Neil Gaiman for variety.

Ultimate favourite has to be the Harry Potter series. It doesn't matter how many times I read it, I never get bored and I have mad, crazy love for the characters and world.
 

Describe your blog in three words.
Enthusiastic, Eccentric, Hyperbolic.

What is your favourite thing about your blog/blogging?
The excuse it gives me to read as much as I do and the people I've met. Book guys and gals are the raddest folk around! 

What post or review are you most proud of, and why?
Tough question! Any review that gets some conversation going in the comments makes me really happy. 

Last year when I started my PhD I wasn't sure how I was going to keep the blog going because reading was the absolute last thing I wanted to do when I got home from 10 hours of academic reading and writing. So I tinkered away and eventually worked it out and the post I wrote about it is one I return to often to keep myself motivated when things get tricky with the work/blog balance.

What are your top three favourite book blogs, and why?
I give myself half an hour every morning (longer on weekends) to scroll through my blog roll, but if I don't have the time the three I make sure I check is your blog, Laura's blog (Devouring Texts) and Gabe's blog Gabriel Reads. All three share similar general tastes with me (bookish and other) but also help introduce me to genres and books I wouldn't normally pick for myself.
 

Can you think of a time another blogger's review made you actually buy/borrow/read a book?
Too often to count! I wouldn't have read The Hunger Games if it wasn't for the enthusiasm of 20 or so book bloggers I follow, and that's probably true for any YA (other than HP) I've read since starting this blog.
 

What were the first and the last books that made you...

-Laugh. I don't think it'd be inaccurate to say that one of Roald Dahl's books was the first to make me laugh. Probably Matilda (the best!). Most recently it's probably Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which I've just finished rereading. JK Rowling (like Roald Dahl) has a talent for creating humour even in the most unhappy of situations.

-Cry. I'm not sure what the first book that made me cry would be. That I can remember would probably be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but I'd be really surprised if a book hadn't made me cry before then (I'm something of a wuss). And I'm sure I've had books moisten my eyes since, but the last book that had me straight out ugly cry was Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguru. It's an amazing book, but oh my god, I could not keep it together!

-Throw them across the room in fury. Not sure about this one. Recently I read about two pages of 50 Shades of Grey at a book store and if I hadn't thought they'd kick me out/make me pay for it, I'd have drop-kicked that piece of trash! Not sure which book had me react like that first though. 

-Push them onto others. I recommended Diana Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci series to everyone as a kid (still do!) and now it'd probably be Stephen King's The Stand. Regardless of your thoughts about King, this is one of those books everyone *needs* to read.

-Stay up til 2am reading. As a kid I used to stay up reading late into the night. If I had chapters left and it was a good book, there was no way I'd be getting any sleep until it was done. I definitely stayed up reading the Harry Potter books, and probably my fair share of BSC and Sweet Valley High books. More recently was my reread of The Hobbit while I was away after Christmas. I only had two chapters left, I could hardly leave it could I?!

Thanks so much for joining me Kayleigh! I totally want to visit the crystal cascades, play Dungeons and Dragons and read your brilliant thesis (zombies FTW!). And Never Let Me Go made me ugly cry for days.

Be My Guest: Jo From Wear The Old Coat

Welcome to my new feature! It even has its own theme tune.

Yep. Totally original. Anyhoo, I wanted to create a feature that focused on how awesome the book blogging community is (as opposed to all the drama of last year), and what better way than to have a new blogger be my guest each week. I'm very happy to have Jo from Wear the Old Coat as my first ever guest. I've been following her blog for so long I can't say exactly how I discovered it, but I love it for Jo's wicked sense of humour and wonderfully written reviews. Some books she's single-handedly added to my wishlist include This is Shyness by Leanne Hall, Adorkable by Sara Manning, A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley and Brown Skin Blue by Belinda Jeffrey. Plus her reviews of books like Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver, and The Lumatere Chronicles and On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta made me want to read the books even more than I already did. She also has awesome features like Under the Covers, about the stories behind the books on her shelf (as well as some guests' books - including mine!), and On Writing, which features amazing interviews with authors, filled with insightful advice about writing. But enough of me waffling. It's time to grill Jo...  

First up, the important stuff - what are we eating and drinking at this party?
OK, I should probably say something really delicious and fancy like… um… something delicious and fancy. But, and this may surprise you so brace yourselves, I don’t actually get invited to that many fancy parties. I actually have a really sweet tooth, so I’m going to bring some Jazzies (I understand you Aussies call them Freckles?) because they’re my favourite sweets in the entire world. And to drink? Pink bubbly because when I’m a Rich and Famous author, that’s all I’ll drink. You can imagine what my books will be like…

What part of the world do you hail from, and what's something not many people would know about that place? 
I’m from a little town about 40 minutes away from Manchester. The song "It’s a Long Way to Tipperary" was written in my hometown by Jack Judge.  

Tell us one random fact about yourself. 
My great granddad had tickets for the Titanic but swapped them at the last minute for tickets on another ship with his friends.

I’m not entirely sure that’s 100% true but it’s one of my favourite things to ask my grandma about, BUT if you want one that definitely is true: I was taught by someone who taught Danny Boyle.

What kind of books do you read, and what is your ultimate favourite?  
I’ve always said if I could get away with reading only contemporary YA books, I would. But I fear I would quickly run out because there is a distinct lack of contemporary books getting published at the moment. I find that they often get overlooked for the more in-your-face books that are perhaps easier to sell, but when you find a good one, one that grabs you by the cardigan and refuses to let go, it’s so worth the wait.

My ultimate favourite? God, that’s such a difficult question. There are different books/series that mean a lot to me because I read them at different stages in my reading life. Harry Potter were the first books that made me excited to read. The Hunger Games were the books that showed me how important it is to read what you want and not what you think you should. But my favourite books, absolute favourite, are His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Those books changed the way I thought stories could and should be told.   

What do you do when you're not reading/blogging?
When I’m not reading or blogging I’m actually writing or working. The former a lot more glamorous than the latter… except not really because I write the best when I’m wearing PJs. Seriously though, I’m always writing and coming up with stories. I started reading YA because I wanted to read books that were aimed at the group of readers that I want to write for… and I guess I started blogging because I wanted to have a place where I could talk about the books I loved and loathed with other like-minded people.

I also love music and there’s nothing better than discovering a new band and song to play on repeat. Oh and I adore watching films, something that has kind of taken a bit of a backseat with all my reading/writing malarkey but I will always be a film geek. In fact, I probably have more DVDs than books….

Describe your blog in three words.
Extremely high brow.

Nah, I’m kidding.

Rambly, fun, different.

 
What is your favourite thing about your blog/blogging?

I know this is probably the part where I should say that my favourite part of blogging is meeting other like-minded people who love the books I love and encourage my passion for them. And please don’t get me wrong, that is my favourite thing.

But you’ve probably heard the same things from other bloggers so my second favourite thing about blogging is gaining the confidence to voice my opinion on the things I’m passionate about. I wouldn’t say I was necessarily a shy person, but I’m quite a conscious person, if that makes any sense. I’m very conscious that if I keep rabbiting on about Marchetta or Pullman or Collins or Rowling then people will roll their eyes and move away. But with my blog, I have this little part of the internet where I can ramble on as much as I want to about the things I love the most and people who feel the same way (or differently! I’m always up for a discussion!) can stumble upon it and start a discussion.

Unless they’re the ones who find my blog through searches for “Where can I buy an old coat?”… they probably don’t care about Peeta and his burnt bread.

 
What post or review are you most proud of, and why?

My favourite post(s) I’m proud of is probably my On Writing feature. I started the feature for a completely selfish reason: I’m an aspiring YA writer and I wanted to know all the writing secrets. But as I posted more interviews and posts, it seemed to have turned into something else entirely. And it’s so brilliant to see other aspiring writers, my friends and strangers, all at different stages of their writing journeys reading the interviews and posts and finding them useful. It makes me think that the hard behind-the-scenes work (persuading the authors they want to be interviewed by me, the questions, etc etc) is more than worth it.     

What are your top three favourite book blogs, and why?

Oh good grief, this is a horrible question. Just three? Can I not just direct to the side bar of my blog? That is my ultimate list of book blogs that I love. But seeing as I’m wimping out of narrowing it down to just three, I’ll give you my top three things that will make me love a blog. 1) I love bloggers that don’t take themselves too seriously. Blogging is supposed to be FUN. 2) Bloggers who have an opinion. No reader can love every single book they read, if you don’t like it, I want to know why! You never know, the reason you might dislike it might be the reason I love it! 3) Bloggers who write fascinating and unique posts and not ones that are loosely based on something that was marginally controversial because you want to get more hits.  

Can you think of a time another blogger's review made you actually buy/borrow/read a book?

Oh, I rely on bloggers to recommend at least 75% of the books I read. Recently though, two reviews (well, one is technically a post) that come to mind are Rey from Wordchasing’s  Five Reasons to Read The Montmaray Journals and Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks’ review of Fire Spell by Laura Amy Schlitz.

 
What was the last book that made you... 
-Laugh. The book I’m currently reading, Crow Boy, made me laugh but I don’t think it was intentional. It’s about a boy from Manchester (waaaayyy) who goes to Edinburgh and he’s getting bullied because he hasn’t got a coat and one of the bullies is like, “Oh he’s Liam Gallagher, he’s too cool for a coat”. Which is obviously a lie because it’s common knowledge that Liam Gallagher is rather partial to a Parka. OK, maybe that’s just me finding that funny.  
-Cry. I was an absolute wreck after Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta.   
-Throw it across the room in fury. And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky. Urgh, I could barely get past the first chapter because it touched a raw nerve about something that I admit I’m sensitive about. But yeah, it just made me angry.  
-Push it onto others. Recently, I’ve got two people, Maree and Anna, to read Keren David’s When I Was Joe series.  
-Stay up til 2am reading. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – gosh that book is good.  

Would you rather read only five books for the rest of the life, but they're really amazing - or read hundreds/thousands that are all mediocre?

Five books, definitely. I’m a strong advocate of giving up on books if you don’t like them because… well, why would you want to read a crap book when there are so many other books to discover? I’m also a strong advocate of re-reading your favourite books… so yes. Definitely only five books. 
You’re not going to ask me which five, are you?!

  
OK, time to play Snog, Marry, Avoid, The Marchetta Edition. Who would you snog/marry/avoid out of...

You are a cruel, cruel, horrible woman, Ms Belle

 
-Finnikin, Froi and Lucian

(Small spoilers for Froi of the Exiles & Quintana of Charyn!) 
OK, I’d avoid the ginger cat (sorry Finn!), I’d…. snog Lucian and I’d marry Froi. Although, actually, maybe I should snog Froi and marry Lucian. I think I would fare better in a fight with Phaedra than Q… and I’m quite fond of my hair on my scalp. I adore Froi and would marry him in a heartbeat but I don’t want to be responsible for splitting him and Q up.

Sorry Phaedra, Fleece Boy is mine.  

-Tom Mackee, Jonah Griggs and Jacob Coote

HA… OK. Sorry Jacob, I’m giving you and your leather jacket a wide berth. Jonah will get snogged silly in the tree house and Mackee’s going to propose at the Sydney International Airport. 

Thank you Jo for being my very first guest!