BBAW: What does blogging mean to me?

Blogging to me is the first hobby that I've truly loved and stuck with. And here are my reasons.
Friends!
I never knew that once I started blogging I would gain friends. I quickly realized that I would be connecting with people around the blogging world, but I never thought I could one day call some of these people friends. And, not only friends, but best friends.

These friends are there to share excitement with me. They are there when I need some advice. They are there to listen to me vent. And they are there to make me feel better when I'm upset.

This one particular thing is truly what I think has kept me blogging for as long as I have.

Books!
In a way, blogging to me is like a giant book club. With all the blogs I visit, almost every single day I find a book that I've never heard about. Being able to find these books and listen to other bloggers’ advice has helped me find some amazing books that I probably would never have known about.
Reading!
Reading has been my number one passion for at least 10 years now, and ever since I've started blogging, I'm reading more books than I ever have! And I love it!
Authors!
Being able to connect with authors who wrote the books I love is amazing. Having the opportunity to ask them questions about their books and even giving them a hard time when they crush my soul in a scene is awesome. But, best of all, I've met some amazing authors who I can also call a friend.
Events!
Before I started blogging, I had never attended even a single book event. Not even a book signing! The only thing I ever did bookish related before book blogging was go to the midnight releases of a Harry Potter book. Now that I'm blogging, I've gone to more bookish events than I can count! And now, they have become my favorite things to do when I'm away from home.
Fun!
All the things above make blogging fun! I look forward to chatting with people on twitter about a book or even about something random. I love reading and even responding to comments...and I love getting my feelings out about a book I've been reading. And people are actually listening...or should I say reading. LOL
Me time!
In my house, book blogging is all about me. When I get on my computer, or when I pick up a book, it's my time to unwind. I find the best time for me to do this is when everyone has gone to bed at night. It's amazing and peaceful! I think for me, it’s like a nice warm bubble bath is for others.

Impatiently Waiting! The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Expected publish date:
February 12, 2013

Publisher's summary: Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


♥♥♥♥♥

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

BBAW: Interview Swap!

Me: Please welcome today's guest Chachic from Chachic's Book Nook!  Hi Chachic! It’s nice to meet you!!! I love meeting new bloggers.
Chachic: Hi Mindy! Nice to meet you too. BBAW is a great way to meet new bloggers, right?

Me: First off, how long have you been a book blogger? And what type of books to you primarily read and review?
Chachic: I’ve been blogging since 2010 and I read all sorts of genre fiction - young adult fiction, epic and urban fantasy, fairy tale retellings and contemporary romance. I’m usually willing to try anything that comes highly recommended by a blogger I trust.

Me: What inspired you to start blogging?
Chachic: I was lurker for a while before I started my own blog. I’ve always enjoyed reading but I don’t get to talk about the books that I read with real life friends. I realized that having a book blog would help me connect with readers who share my tastes in books and that’s one of the main reasons why I thought it would be a good idea to start blogging.

Me: What is your favorite parts and the parts you don’t like very much of book blogging?
Chachic: I really enjoy discussing the books that I read with fellow readers and bloggers, that’s still one of my favorite aspects of blogging. I’m not a fan of the drama that happens though and I try to stay away from those because I want my blog to be my happy place - it helps me unwind and relax. I also don’t like experiencing a blogging slump because it’s frustrating but when you’ve been blogging for some time, I think a slump becomes a usual thing.

Me: What are you top 5 favorite books of all time? And your top 5 favorite books you have read this year?
Chachic: I have such a hard time answering this question! Can I cheat a bit? I have a long list of favorites over at my blog. :P I’ll share five of my favorite authors though: Megan Whalen Turner, Robin McKinley, Melina Marchetta, Ilona Andrews and Elizabeth Wein.

Five favorite reads from 2012 are Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Northlander by Meg Burden and the Trese graphic novels by Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo.

Me: What are your favorite Memes to participate in and why?
Chachic: I like doing Book Haul posts but I believe that isn’t technically a meme because nobody hosts it. I also enjoy participating in Retro Friday hosted at Angieville because I get to review older titles instead of new releases. I host a meme on my blog called Want Books, where I feature books that have already been released and are on my wishlist.

Me: Based on what you know of me now, do you have any suggestions of blogs I might like?
Chachic: Based on what I’ve seen while browsing through your blog, I have a feeling you’d be interested in checking out several blogs that I follow:

1. Janicu’s Book Blog
2. The Book Smugglers
3. Fantasy Cafe
4. The Nocturnal Library
5. The Readventurer

Me: Other than reading and blogging about it, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Chachic: My favorite hobbies are summarized in the shirt that I’m wearing now:


I just moved from Manila to Singapore for a new job a few weeks ago. So I’m still trying to get to know the city where I’m based now by exploring bookish and foodie places.


For the first time in my life, I have access to a good public library and I find that pretty exciting.

Me: Thanks for stopping by Chachic! It was fun chatting!!! Make sure you stop on over to Chachic's blog to check out my interview. You can find it here: BBAW Interview Swap.