Well Worth Watching Blogger Profile (6) Linus's Blanket

Happy July 4th! To celebrate, I bring you another installment of the Well Watching Blog Award Profile, this month with a fabulous blogger you need to be reading: Nicole of Linus's Blanket. Now, I'd been to Nicole's blog before BEA and enjoyed it, but after meeting Nicole and getting to hang out with her (though not enough, never enough), I became a rabid fan of her, her taste in restaurants and her blog.

If someone were to blurb your blog in 25 word or less, what would he or she say?

Expect the unexpected. Eclectic book reviews and disorganized thoughts.

What kinds of books do you read and review on your blog?

My blog is becoming pretty varied as far as reviews go. I think it's pretty common among book bloggers that we started blogging for one reason and then happen to mention a book and it takes on a life of it's own. I think since I didn't start it for bookish reasons or to write about a book topics that it's pretty eclectic, as is my reading. I love to read non-fiction and literary fiction and as I have been going along I have found that I read a lot of historical fiction as well. But I also love to go back and explore the roots of my reading and the books that I loved growing up. I finally had to make sections for my fiction and non-fiction, to keep it organized and help people find what they might specifically be looking for; and I'm about to add a section on YA/Children as well.

What were a couple of your favorite books recently and which ones are you most looking forward to reading soon?

I've recently read Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, which I really enjoyed and then I just finished reading the sequel, Catching Fire (thanks to a special someone I was able to snag a copy!), this morning. I have to say that the cliffhangers on those books just get better and better. I'm glad I was able to read the first two virtually back-to-back. And now I have to wait with everyone else for the last one. :- (

I read Sweethearts by Sara Zarr, and that one stayed with me for a few days. It was a good book. I know quite a few people have been fooled by the cover, but I've been trying to warn that it's not a light read. Neither is Hate List, by Jennifer Brown. But I guess the title makes that pretty obvious. I just finished reading it and I was impressed.

The Turnaround, by George Pelecanos and Either You're in or You're in The Way, by Logan and Noah Miller were a few others that I enjoyed last month.

As for what's coming up, I am looking forward to Impossible by Nancy Werlin. I have no clear idea about what it's about- some kind of fantasy suspense- but I'm kind of glad about that. I'm looking forward to being totally surprised and having the book unfold. I had been looking forward to reading The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Syrie James. It's out this month and I just started on it and I love it. It has such authentic voice and I am loving getting to see how the Bronte sisters interacted with each other and the secret romances in Charlotte's life.

What are some of your favorite posts or reviews in your blog archive and why?

I was skimming through a book called Spent and it inspired me to write a post on Book Addiction, which I think is very real, and it was a lot of fun to compare book weaknesses with other readers. I love asking questions; recently we had a conversation about disclaimers- and if bloggers should/do put them in their reviews and my latest giveaway I am asking people to list 3 things they hated about high school. It's fun to see the answers and to now I wasn't the only one who didn't like gym class and waking up early.

As far as reviews go, it's the children's books I 've read that have really gotten me excited because they were so much fin to read when I was a child and equally fun as an adult. The Wednesday Witch and The Boxcar Children are two of my favorite books of all time. Let's not think about what that says about me, ok?

What are some posts or reviews on other blogs that have caught your attention as being well worth reading?

That's such a tough question because I am constantly reading great stuff. I feel like I need to take notes on my blog reading. Jackie from Farm Lane Books just in general has a blog that I really enjoy reading. I love the questions that she asks in her posts. Last month she asked the people who don't blog to give their book suggestions. You know I was all over that. Like I need any more book recommendations.

J.T. over at Bibliofreak has a great review up of The Book Thief. I had no idea that it started off as an adult book in Australia and was marketed as a YA Book here. That's one I still have to read.

Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot review a book called Virgin: The Untouched History and she had a lot of interesting information and commentary based on other research she did and books that she had read. Like I said, so much good stuff out there.

Complete this sentence: “If I didn't have my blog...”

Ironically, I'd probably read more!

The Well Worth Watching Award was created and designed by Joanne of The Book Zombie. I'm just passing it along to other bloggers!