This is the archive of exclusive author interviews conducted by Little Willow for the Bildungsroman blog and website. The most recent interview is the first to be listed.

Grace Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon)
Sarah Darer Littman (Purge)
Rachel Renee Russell (Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life)
Cylin Busby (The Year We Disappeared)
Lauren Myracle (Peace, Love, & Baby Ducks)
Thalia Chaltas (Because I Am Furniture)
Rosemary Clement-Moore (Prom Dates from H&!!)
Carolyn Hennesy (Pandora Gets Jealous)
Amber Benson (Death's Daughter)
Sarah Mlynowski (Parties & Potions)
Linda Urban (A Crooked Kind of Perfect)
Meg Cabot (Forever Princess)
Judy Blume (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing)
Robin Benway (Audrey, Wait!)
Lisa Ann Sandell (Song of the Sparrow)
Emily Ecton (Boots and Pieces)
Sarah Darer Littman (Purge)
Luisa Plaja (Split by a Kiss)
Courtney Summers (Cracked Up to Be)
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer (The Floating Circus)
Helen Hemphill (The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones)
Amy Belasen and Jacob Osborn (Jenny Green's Killer Year)
Claire Mysko (You're Amazing! A No-Pressure Guide to Being Your Best Self)
Julie Kraut (Hot Mess: Summer in the City)
Barbara Jean Hicks (The Secret Life of Walter Kitty)
Carol Plum-Ucci (What Happened to Lani Garver)
Jen Calonita (Secrets of My Hollywood Life)
Debbie Reed Fischer (Swimming with the Sharks)
Taylor Morris (Total Knockout: Tale of an Ex-Class President)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 13)
Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (Autumn Winifred Does Things Different)
Nancy Viau (Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 12)
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (In the Forests of the Night)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 11)
Paul Miller (Earthling Publications)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 10)
Courtney Sheinmel (My So-Called Family)
Suzanne Supplee (Artichoke's Heart)
Brooke Taylor (Undone)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 9)
Vivian French (The Robe of Skulls)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 8)
E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle (How to Be Bad)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 7)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 6)
Alison McGhee (Snap)
Cherry Cheva (She's So Money)
Denise Vega (Fact of Life #31)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 5)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 4)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 3)
E.M. Crane (Skin Deep)
Jennifer Bradbury (Shift)
Tera Lynn Childs (Oh. My. Gods.)
Susane Colasanti (Take Me There)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 2)
Suzanne Harper (The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney)
Ingrid Law (Savvy)
Christina Meldrum (Madapple)
Gaby Triana (The Temptress Four)
Christopher Golden (Serial Interview, Part 1)
Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)
Liz Tigelaar (PrettyTOUGH)
April Lurie (The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine)
Sara Hantz (The Second Virginity of Suzy Green)
Jody Gehrman (Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty)
Laura Preble (Queen Geeks Social Club)
Robin Wasserman (Seven Deadly Sins, Skinned)
Josie Bloss (Band Geek Love)
Cheryl Klam (The Pretty One)
Teri Brown (Read My Lips)
Kim Flores (Gamma Glamma)
D. Anne Love (Defying the Diva)
Cecilia Galante (The Patron Saint of Butterflies, Hershey Herself)
Jennifer E. Smith (The Comeback Season)
Lisa McMann (Wake)
Dorian Cirrone (Prom Kings and Drama Queens)
Carmen Rodrigues (Not Anything)
Mary E. Pearson (The Adoration of Jenna Fox)
Maryrose Wood (My Life: The Musical)
Jennifer Ziegler (How NOT to Be Popular)
Jamie Ponti (Prama)
Siobhan Vivian (A Little Friendly Advice)
Sherri L. Smith (Hot, Salty, Sour, Sweet)
Robin Palmer (Cindy Ella)
Daphne Grab (Alive and Well in Prague, New York)
Lesley M.M. Blume (Tennyson)
Sara Lewis Holmes (Letters From Rapunzel)
Gabrielle Zevin (Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac)
Beth Kephart (Undercover, House of Dance)
Melissa Walker (Violet on the Runway)
Amy Goldman Koss (The Girls)
Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries)
Liz Gallagher (The Opposite of Invisible)
Justina Chen Headley (Girl Overboard)
Aimee Ferris (Girl Overboard)
Jo Knowles (Lessons from a Dead Girl)
Kirsten Miller (Kiki Strike)
Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty)
Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars)
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List)
Micol Ostow (Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa)
Maureen Johnson (Girl at Sea)
Tom Sniegoski (Owlboy: The Girl with the Destructo Touch)
Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Punk Farm)
Erik Brooks (Lucy's Pups)
Eric Luper (Big Slick)
Paula Brehm-Heeger (2007-2008 YALSA President)
Justina Chen Headley, Lorie Ann Grover, and Janet Lee Carey (Readergirlz: 31 Flavorites)
Melissa Lion (Swollen, Upstream)
Christopher Golden (Body of Evidence)
Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Ironside)
Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why)
Kelly Bingham (Shark Girl)
Simmone Howell (Notes from the Teenage Underground)
Deborah Davis (Not Like You)
Tom Sniegoski (Billy Hooten, Owlboy)
Sara Ryan (The Rules for Hearts)
Simone Elkeles (How to Ruin a Summer Vacation)
Julie Halpern (Get Well Soon)
Caroline Hickey (Cassie Was Here)
Gretchen Olson (Call Me Hope)
Stephanie Hale (Revenge of the Homecoming Queen)
C. Leigh Purtill (Love, Meg)
Dana Reinhardt (A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life)
Ysabeau Wilce (Flora Segunda)
Christopher Golden (The Menagerie: Crashing Paradise)
Jordan Sonnenblick (Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie)
Sameera "Sparrow" Righton via Mitali Perkins (First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover)
Sarah Beth Durst (Into the Wild)
Kristen Tracy (Lost It)
Alex Richards (Back Talk)
Janet Lee Carey (Dragon's Keep)
Sonya Sones (What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know)
Cecil Castellucci (Beige)
Joni Sensel (Reality Leak)
Dia Calhoun (The Phoenix Dance)
Nina Malkin (Orange is the New Pink)
Karen Day (Tall Tales)
Julie Bowe (My Last Best Friend)
Sarah Miller (Miss Spitfire)
Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak, Twisted)
Elizabeth Scott (Bloom)
Alex Flinn (Beastly, Diva)
Wendy Toliver (The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren)
Laura Bowers (Beauty Shop for Rent ...fully equipped, inquire within)
Jessica Day George (Dragon Slippers)
E. Lockhart (Dramarama)
Mary Wilcox (The Hollywood Sisters)
Debra Garfinkle (The Band)
Kristen Buckley (Tramps Like Us)
Crissa-Jean Chappell (Total Constant Order)
Liane Bonin (Fame Unlimited)
Heather Brewer (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)
Shannon Greenland (The Specialists)
Carrie Jones (Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend)
S.T. Underdahl (The Other Sister)
Kerry Madden (The Maggie Valley Trilogy)
Margo Rabb (Cures for Heartbreak)
Jenny Han (Shug, interview two)
Jennifer L. Holm (Penny From Heaven)
Justina Chen Headley, Lorie Ann Grover, Dia Calhoun, and Janet Lee Carey (Readergirlz)
Robin Friedman (The Girlfriend Project)
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer (Reaching for Sun)
Terie Garrison (The DragonSpawn Cycle)
Lisa Graff (The Thing about Georgie)
Alison Bell (Zibby Payne and the Terrible, Wonderful Tomboy Experiment)
Jeannine Garsee (Before, After, and Somebody In Between)
Deb Caletti (The Nature of Jade)
Wendy Mass (Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life)
Paula Chase (So Not the Drama)
Melissa Schorr (Goy Crazy)
Nina Wright (Homefree)
Helen Hemphill (Runaround)
Sara Zarr (Story of a Girl)
Christopher Golden (The Veil)
Garret Freymann-Weyr (Stay With Me)
Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Angel's Choice)
Kirby Larson (Hattie Big Sky)
Lesley M.M. Blume (Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters)
Bonnie Dobkin (Dream Spinner)
Pamela Lowell (Returnable Girl)
Lisa Yee (Millicent Min, Girl Genius)
Raina Telgemeier (BSC Graphix)
Marcy Dermansky (Twins)
Christine MacLean (How It's Done)
Alex McAulay (Bad Girls)
Kelly Parra (Graffiti Girl)
Janette Rallison (It's a Mall World After All)
Amy Saidens (Simon Pulse book cover artist)
Micol Ostow (30 Guys in 30 Days)
Erin Downing (Dancing Queen)
Aimee Friedman (A Novel Idea)
Kelly McClymer (Getting to Third Date)
Jennifer Echols (Major Crush)
Niki Burnham (Do-Over)
Sarah Bushweller and Emily S. Morris aka Libby Street (Accidental It Girl)
Gena Showalter (Oh My Goth)
Justina Chen Headley (Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies))
Bev Katz Rosenbaum (I Was a Teenage Popsicle)
Christopher Golden (Straight on 'til Morning)
Laura Wiess (Such a Pretty Girl)
Cara Lockwood (Bard Academy: Wuthering High)
Caridad Ferrer (Adios to My Old Life, interview two)
Beth Killian (The 310: Life as a Poser)
Jenny O'Connell (Plan B)
Tara Altebrando (The Pursuit of Happiness, interview two)
Susan Taylor Brown (Hugging the Rock)
Jenny Han (Shug)
Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (Magic or Madness, Uglies)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Golden)
Tom Sniegoski (Serial Interview, Part 4)
A. Lee Martinez (Gil's All Fright Diner)
Tom Sniegoski (Serial Interview, Part 3)
Jordan Roter (Girl in Development)
Tom Sniegoski (Serial Interview, Part 2)
Lorie Ann Grover (On Pointe, Hold Me Tight)
Caridad Ferrer (Adios to My Old Life)
Chris Abouzeid (Anatopsis)
Tom Sniegoski (Serial Interview, Part 1)
Ally Carter (I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You)
Markus Zusak (The Book Thief)
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist)
Tanya Lee Stone (A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl)
Serena Robar (braced2bite)
Mari Mancusi (Boys That Bite)
Cynthia Lord (Rules)
Sarah Dessen (Just Listen)
Tara Altebrando (The Pursuit of Happiness)
Polly Shulman (Enthusiasm)
Jeanne Birdsall (The Penderwicks)
Amber Benson and Christopher Golden (Ghosts of Albion: Accursed)
Christopher Golden (Last Breath)

Themed interviews with multiple authors:
Looking Forward
Their Favorite Books
Hope
Family

This archive is mirrored at the Bildungsroman website.

This particular list features forthcoming titles I would like to read. The majority of the books listed below are young adult fiction and juvenile fiction. If I read and review an advanced copy, I link the title to my review. At the close of every month, I move that month's remaining titles from this list to my backlist of books to read.

June 2009
Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Always by Alison McGhee and Pascal Lemaitre
Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish by Lorie Ann Grover
Canterwood Crest #3: Behind the Bit by Jessica Burkhart
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter (third in the Gallagher Girls series)
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life written and illustrated by Rachel Renee Russell
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Drive Me Crazy by Erin Downing
Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner
Every Summer by Claire Hennessy
Fairy Lust by Cyn Balog
Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs (read, review to come; sequel to Oh. My. Gods.)
Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann (read, review to come)
It's Picture Day Today! by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy) by Alison McGhee (read, review to come)
Juicy Gossip by Erin Downing (read)
Killer by Sara Shepard (the sixth book in the Pretty Little Liars series)
Likely Story: Red Carpet Riot by David Van Etten
Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott (read, review to come)
Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis (read, review to come)
Me, My Elf & I by Heather Swain
Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart
Paris Pan Takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu
Posh and Prejudice by Grace Dent
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman (read, review to come)
Tempo Change by Barbara Hall
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Umbrella Summer (previously titled Allergic to Chocolate) by Lisa Graff

( Read more... )

Nine authors with new releases helped me ring in 2009.

I asked each participant:

What are you looking forward to in the new year?

I posted their responses at Bildungsroman every Tuesday and Thursday in January. Some spoke of professional goals, some of personal goals, some of politics and presidents.

January 6th: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, siblings and co-authors of the Babymouse graphic novels
January 8th: Courtney Summers, author of Cracked Up to Be
January 13th: Micol Ostow, author of The Bradford Novels
January 15th: Jessica Burkhart, author of the Canterwood Crest series
January 20th: Christopher Golden, co-author of The Hidden Cities novels
January 22nd: Tim Lebbon, co-author of The Hidden Cities novels
January 27th: Thomas E. Sniegoski, author of The Brimstone Network series
January 29th: Sherri L. Smith, author of Flygirl

I call this journal + website Bildungsroman for a reason. I think there's something special about a story that accurately captures that time when you grow up - when our perception of how the world works is irrevocably altered, for better or for worse.

In January 2007, Chasing Ray announced You Should Read This Awards 2007: Coming-of-Age. Since I love this genre with a passion, I immediately suggested a multitude of titles, which I then posted here. I've updated this booklist a few times since then and will continue to do so as time goes on.

In alphabetical order by author:

The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando
What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Queen of Everything by Deb Caletti
The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
An Egg on Three Sticks by Jackie Fischer
Friction by E.R. Frank
The True Meaning of Cleavage by Mariah Fredericks
Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr
As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) by Justina Chen Headley
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
Stained by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
Swollen by Melissa Lion
Upstream by Melissa Lion
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Innocence by Jane Mendelsohn
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary E. Pearson
Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Just Like That by Marsha Qualey
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Homecoming by Cynthia Voight
So B. It by Sarah Weeks

. . . and, if you like series that follow characters through childhood and adulthood:

The Anne Shirley octet by L.M. Montgomery

Wondering why I picked a certain title? Ask in the comments section below. I'll be more than happy to discuss this books further.

On Friday, August 3rd, I got up bright and early - which I always do, but this time, I had a very special purpose. I had been invited to speak on a panel with four other lit-happy bloggers at The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference. Our panel was entitled Having Our Say: Blogging About Children's Literature. I was flattered to be in such good company and looked forward to meeting my fellow panelists - Gina from AmoXcalli, a. fortis and TadMack from Finding Wonderland and Readers' Rants, and Kelly from Big A, little a - in person.

Sadly, Gina had become ill earlier in the week and was unable to attend. However, she truly was a part of our panel, as she created the bulk of our PowerPoint slideshow, which she then put online. Thank you so much, Gina, for all of your hard work. I hope that you are feeling better and that we do meet up in the future.

Kelly and I met up in the morning and discussed the wonders of technology and travel until TadMack and TechBoy arrived. Before we knew it, it was time for the conference to begin, and poor a. fortis was still stuck in traffic. Kelly, TadMack and I scurried into the grand ballroom, where nearly one thousand people had already gathered, and listened to the hilarious welcome speech from Lin Oliver, the SCBWI Executive Director.

The faculty members - anyone speaking on a panel - then lined up and introduced themselves one by one (or group by group - go, Class of 2k7!), with each person saying one word that represented his/her/their panel or mood. When John Green introduced himself and added, "Nerdfighters," a young woman screamed loudly to show her support.

Yes, that was me.

I apologized to Kelly and TadMack for bursting their eardrums. Shortly thereafter, we took to the stage, introduced ourselves, and said:

"Controversy . . .
" . . . conflict . . . "
" . . . and connectivity."

Oh, how I adore alliteration!

a. fortis arrived shortly after the introductions. We all headed over to the room where our panel was going to be held. While telling each other our life stories and discussing new and classic stories, we reviewed the slideshow, which ran throughout the panel.

Once our room filled up, we filled an hour with talk and laughter. I know we could have talked all day about the importance of literacy, free speech, and communication. After briefly introducing ourselves, we talked about our love of literature and of blogging while TadMack clicked through screenshots of various lit blogs and online events. We talked about The Cybils, Toon Thursday, Poetry Friday, The Edge of the Forest, readergirlz, the upcoming 1st Annual Kidlitosphere Conference as planned by Robin Brande, MotherReader's The 48 Hour Book Challenge, 7-Imp's 7 Kicks, The Carnival of Children's Literature, Chasing Ray's various events (the Summer Blog Blast Tour and Wicked Cool Overlooked Books plus the upcoming Winter Blog Blast Tour, Radar Recommendations, and One-Shot World Tour), Class of 2k7, The Longstockings, and more.

Many thanks to the bloggers, authors, and readers who attended our panel. Thanks also to those who sent us notes of support and good luck wishes.

I have an idea for next time: broadcast the panel live on the internet - podcast, anyone? - or incorporate a chat element, making it accessible to the everyone who can't attend in person and encouraging them to take part and ask questions.

I'm curious as to the readership of this blog. All answers to the actual polls are private, but please feel free to leave comments on this entry too.

How old are you?
12 or younger
13 to 18
Twentysomething
Thirtysomething
Fortysomething
Fifty or over


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What is your favorite feature of Bildungsroman?
Booklists
Book reviews
Author interviews
Other (Leave a comment below)


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How did you discover Bildungsroman?
I know you in real life
I followed your BtVS-related sites
You are a friend of a friend on LJ
I clicked a link from another blog
Other (Please leave comment below)


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How often do you check the Bildungsroman blog?
Daily
A few times a week
Weekly
Monthly
Rarely


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How often do you check the Bildungsroman website?
Daily
A few times a week
Weekly
Monthly
Rarely


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How many times have you read a book based on my recommendations?
Never
Once
A handful of times
A dozen times
Too many to count


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I would also like to know:
Which of my booklists have you found the most helpful?
Which of my author interviews did you find the most humorous? The most informative?
Have you used any of my booklists in your classroom/home/bookstore/library/book group?
Have you used any of my book recommendations in your classroom/home/bookstore/library/book group?

Feel free to leave booklist requests, suggestions, and additional feedback in the comments below! Thank you!

Bildungsroman now has a website.
http://www.slayground.net/bildungsroman
Tell your friends! Tell your kids! Link to it!
*does a little dance*

Bildungsroman: A novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity. (Wikipedia)

Bildungsroman: A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character. (dictionary.com)

Bildungsroman: A novel idea; the story of a girl. (slayground)

Related Posts: Book Background, My Interview at Seven Impossible Things, Booklist: Coming-of-Age Novels aka Bildungsromans

I'm very pleased that this little blog of mine has been getting more attention recently. I feel as though it is has been reaching a wider audience now that I am posting more not only more frequently, but with an emphasis on fiction. Thanks to the Internet, especially LiveJournal and MySpace, I've been able to interview authors I admire and get in contact with other book bloggers. I am always happy to talk about books. If I had a nickel for every book I recommended and handsold, I would be rich.

So who am I? I am an actress. I am a singer and a songwriter. I am a dancer and a choreographer. I am a writer. I am a freelance journalist, a freelance publicist, and a freelance webdesigner. I am a director and a playwright. I am a bookseller. I am a reader and a viewer. I am a daughter and a sister. I am a cat owner. I value literacy and I value communication, so I love many forms of storytelling. I enjoy books. I enjoy plays, television, and films, especially musicals. I love music.

A recent email inspired the remainder of this post.

I have been reading since the age of 2. My role model was Rainbow Brite. A few years later, my favorite series was The Baby-Sitters Club.

I read very quickly. I always have. Teachers did not believe that I could read an entire book in one class period, but I did. I read an average of one new book a day, more if the titles are juvenile or young adult.

My areas of book expertise are literature, classics, children's classics, contemporary children's books, and contemporary teen novels. My favorite genres are dramatic fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery.

My favorite novelist is Christopher Golden. He has written over a hundred books. I admire him for many reasons. He has accomplished what I hope to accomplish: write for various genres, ages, and types of media, and write well. My favorite Golden books are Body Bags, the first in the Body of Evidence mystery series, and The Boys are Back in Town, a horror novel that twists memories and time travel like nobody's business.

For a book to be on my list of all-time favorites, it has to be intelligent and well-written. If it is a fantasy, it must be imaginative. If it is dramatic fiction, it must be realistic. My favorite classic novels are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, the Anne of Green Gables octet by L.M. Montgomery, The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende, Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. The most contemporary titles on my favorites list, in addition to the Golden books I mentioned earlier, are The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Innocence by Jane Mendelsohn, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I list my favorite books, songs, authors, films, and more at my website Your Girl on my sources of inspiration page. My list of favorite books is also posted at Amazon Listmania!

My non-fiction interests are extremely geeky. I enjoy researching Ancient Egypt (yes, I like to read hieroglyphs) and I have a lot of interest in the history of and advances in mathematics and science. I also have contributed non-fiction articles and essays to newspapers and books. I still get excited every time an article of mine is published.

I cannot wait until my own novels, plays, and scripts are published and performed. Someday. Someday. I'm working on it.

GottaBook asked folks to post five reasons why they blog. Here are five from me:

1. To share my love of reading
   
2. To encourage literacy (to encourage others to read in general)
   
3. To encourage others to read books I love
   
4. To support amazing authors
   
5. Because I love when people ask me for book recommendations!

Related Posts: The Meaning of Bildungsroman, My Interview at Seven Impossible Things, Booklist: Coming-of-Age Novels aka Bildungsromans