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It is mind-blowing to think that two years ago today I started this very book blog on a whim. I had an unpopular opinion about a popular novel and I wanted a place to share my thoughts- thus Kristin Kraves Books was born.
So much has changed since then. I have enrolled in a publishing program, my reading tastes have evolved, I have become more technically savvy, and I have met so many amazing bookish people. I truly think that the book community is the best and kindest community out there.
A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I was planning to do a Q&A, and I was thrilled to receive so many amazing questions! I will also be posting a giveaway in the next few days. I was going to include it in this post but I just kept rambling on and on…
Did you ever expect to make it this long? What is an achievement you never in your wildest dreams has happened that you never thought would (and lasting two years doesn’t get to be an answer lol)
When I first started blogging I honestly did not have any expectations. I just jumped in to it pretty naively and it has been a learning experience ever since. I will say that pretty early on I figured out that this would be something I would do for awhile because I fell in love with it. It is something I will continue to do for as long as I love it!
Having anyone follow me and care about what I have to say was a great confidence boost for me. I think one of the greatest achievements that has come out of this blog is how it has helped me grow as a person. It has helped to give me a voice both off and online.
What’s your fave thing you have discovered in relation to blogging? (could be a book or a fandom or a tag… anything you like!)
There are so many books that I never would have picked up if it were not for blogging. I think one of the greatest things I have discovered is that there are many genres that I love and never would have tried otherwise- the biggest one being Science Fiction! Blogging introduced me to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and Sleeping Giants, which have become two of my all-time favourite books!
1. Your stranded on a desert island. What three things do you have on your (make it fun and not like, a phone to contact help or something like that)?
2. Have you ever written a novel? If yes, can you describe what it was about? If not, what kind of novel would you want to write?
3. What’s your blogging kryptonite?
What’s your favourite thing about the book blogging community?
What advice would you give to new bloggers that you wished you had known?
Where do you ideally see yourself in 10 years time?
My questions: if you could only use book characters to name your children (or pets) after, which book characters would you use? What was your favourite childhood book? If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
-How do you balance reading and blogging with other life commitments (school, work, family, friends, etc)?
-What are your favorite genres to read?
-Top 5 books you’ve read this year?
-Do you see yourself continuing to blog in the future?
My Q: What’s one reading goal and one personal goal you have this year?
My main reading goal for 2019 was to not give in to the hype. I have stopped feeling pressured to read a book that doesn’t interest me just because everyone else is reading it and it has been so freeing!
My personal goal is to start freelance editing. I am currently enrolled in a publishing program and it is fantastic. It has really ignited my passion for editing!
What’s the worst book you’ve read in the past two years? What’s an experience you never would have had if you hadn’t started blogging?
Easy- the worst book I have read in the last two years is The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo! UGH!!
You know what is amazing- I do not think I ever would have taken the plunge and enrolled in a publishing program if I never started blogging. I always loved books, but it was until I started this blog that I realized that I wanted to turn that passion in to a career.
My question is what is your favorite (book) release so far this year? and are you currently doing any reading challenge?
There are so many good ones! How do I choose just one!? It is a tie between Normal People by Sally Rooney and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevado.
I am doing a few reading challenges! I do the Goodreads challenge every year, and this year I am tackling both the Book Riot Read Harder challenge and the Backlist challenge. Both are going well so far but, admittedly, I do not think too much about them and a lot of the books I read just end up fitting the challenge by accident…
What, if anything, has blogging taught you? Have you ever thought of just quitting?
What are your other interests outside of blogging? 🙂
What’s been the biggest pleasant surprise about blogging?
Hmmm… I think that the biggest surprise has been just how many people actually give a damn about my thoughts and feelings about books. Not many people in my life are readers so it wasn’t until I started blogging that I realized there are so many other people out there who loves books as much as I do and they want to talk about them! It is amazing!
What is the biggest blogging goal you have achieved in the last two years and what blogging goal would you like to achieve by the time you hit 3 years??
I think just being two years in to it and still loving what I am doing is incredible. Being able to come up with new content and never feeling like things are getting tired or stale was one my major goals and, so far, I feel like I have managed to achieve that.
In three years, I would love to have moved to a bigger city where there are more opportunities for not only work, but also for bloggers. It would be awesome to actually meet some fellow book bloggers IRL.
1. How has blogging impacted your reading today?
2. How long did it take for you to settle into your blog identity? (Design, content, style)
How did you know you wanted to create a book blog? Did you ever consider blogging about other topics?
I sort of created this blog on a whim. It is something I thought about but never thought I would actually do until I read Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. I had some problems with that book and I wanted to be able to talk about them. The rest is history!
I love baking so it has crossed my mind to create a baking blog, but it just seems like so much work! I am not skilled at taking pictures, which is thankfully not a skill needed to run a book blog.
If aliens appeared to you and told you they could take you back in time just once, and you had to choose between either killing Baby Hitler or taking a vaccine for the Bubonic Plague back to Europe, which would you choose and why?
This questions really made me think!
My initial thought was to kill baby Hitler, but the more I thought about it the more I realized I would probably take a vaccine for the Bubonic Plague back to Europe. First of all, I wouldn’t have to kill a baby, and secondly, because the Bubonic Plague happened before WWII, you never know how saving those millions of lives would have changed the course of history. Maybe without those deaths there is no Hitler. I hope I am making some sense- it is a tough choice!
I think I’ve got to ask, if you had to live in any book world, which one would you choose? And what’s the best book you’ve discovered through blogging? 😀 ❤
Such a tough choice! My inner kid is telling me I have to go with Oz. I just loved The Wizard of Oz when I was young and as far as fantasy worlds go, it is one of the best and least sinister!
The best book has got to be A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. Oh wait… The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo… Zezee
My question: Are you in school, if so what are you studying; if not, what field do you work in? And how do you balance blogging and work/school?
As I have mentioned a few times, I am currently in school! I am taking a the publishing program at Ryerson University and I am loving it. As far as balance goes, I just squeeze blogging in any free chance that I get. It is relaxing for me so it is rare that I feel pressured to do it.
1.) What are some of your other hobbies? (Reading/blogging don’t count)
2.) What would you say is the most important thing you have learned from blogging the past 2 years?
3.) What book would you recommend from your favorite genre?
I would like to ask for your tips on blog post ideas and how to get readers to your blog?
Blog posts ideas come to my mind all of the time and I have come to realize that as soon as they do I need to write them down or I will forget. I currently have 33 unwritten blog post ideas sitting in my drafts. I think the best thing to do is to first make a schedule. For example, on my blog, I post reviews Sundays, discussions Mondays, Top Five Tuesday on Tuesdays, and tags on Thursdays. It helps me to stay organized and to know what type of post ideas I need to come up with. Do not be afraid to use other people’s posts for inspiration, as long as you give them credit!
I think the best way to get readers to your blog in to interact with the community. Comment on other people’s posts- that is one of the most fun things about blogging for me. As much as I love to write blog posts, I love reading other’s opinions on books and reading just as much. If people see that you are generally passionate about what you are doing they will come to your blog!
Phew! You are all so amazing! I am so grateful for all of the support you have given me over the last two years. I can not wait to continue to talk about books and life with you.