Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday

The blog hop is hosted by Jen from Crazy for Books.

This weeks question is: Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?

Not really, my blog name was pretty random and it's not specifically book-related but it's something I'm fairly happy with and I don't see myself switching to a new blog or name anytime in the future.

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee

This week's question: Share your current fav television show! Tell us a bit about it...

My favourite TV show is probably House, it an unconventional medical drama that also has its share of comedy and I love Dr. House's sarcastic sense of humour. I also happen to really enjoy a ton of terrible reality TV, especially cooking related shows like Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef and Masterchef Australia. 

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to leave a link in the comments so I can follow back!
 

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday

The blog hop is hosted by Jen from Crazy for Books.

This weeks question is: What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?

Although both plot and characters can be important, I find it really hard to enjoy a good plot if I don't appreciate the characters. I'm also a big fan of literary fiction in which plot doesn't play a key role in the novel so I'm going to have to side with characters in this debate.

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee 

This week's question: What did you study in college, or are currently studying and did it lead to your current 9 to 5 or are you doing something totally different?

I'm actually still in college. I'm a first year masters student in biological sciences with my area of research being plant epigenetics. And yes, I'm a huge nerd.  I'm hoping for a future in research either in an academic setting like a university or government lab. Hopefully I can find something I love, but I definitely still have quite a few more years of school left first! Reading and blogging are some of the ways I relax and work parts of my brain dedicated to things beside science.

While you're visiting my blog don't forget to enter to win Heidegger's Glasses by Thaisa Frank. Also let me know if you're a new follower so I can make sure to stop by :) Happy Friday everyone and welcome to In The Next Room.

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday

The blog hop is hosted by Jen from Crazy for Books.

This weeks question is: What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs? Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?

I really love everything about book blogging. I have won a few giveaways and those are awesome, but I also love getting insight into how other people feel about books I have read and connecting with other readers. It's awesome!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee

This week's question: Do you have an under-noticed author that you think we should all know about?

This is a hard one, I'm not really sure what qualifies as "under-noticed" but I really think Deborah Willis, author of Vanishing and Other Stories, has an incredible amount of talent and I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

While you're visiting my blog don't forget to enter my two awesome giveaways. The first one is for Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller which ends today, and the second one is for Heidegger's Glasses by Thaisa Frank. Happy Friday everyone and welcome to In The Next Room.

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday

So it's been almost two months since the last time I participated in these two memes but I figured it's about time I joined back in.

The blog hop is hosted by Jen from Crazy for Books.

This weeks question is: What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?

Well, I'm not a fan of paranormal books which means that I tend to avoid most of the books getting a lot of hype these days. However before I posted my slightly negative review of Great House by Nicole Krauss I had only read good things about it. The book had even been nominated for a National Book Award! But it just wasn't for me and I felt perfectly comfortable posting my review because it was honest and I'm sure there are other people who agree. Mostly though, I tend to avoid books until the hype has died down a bit, unless it's by an author I already know I enjoy, that way I can appreciate a book like The Hunger Games on my own terms. 

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee

This week's question: What do you do besides reading / reviewing as a hobby?

Reading and reviewing is definitely my major hobby these days, but occasionally I also enjoy writing both creatively and to friends as I love mail. I also recently taught myself how to knit again and I am halfway through a massive purple scarf, I love that I can knit and study at the same time, which isn't exactly true of blogging or reading!
 
While you're visiting my blog don't forget to enter my two awesome giveaways. The first one is for Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller, and the second (brand new) one is for Heidegger's Glasses by Thaisa Frank. Happy Friday everyone and welcome to In The Next Room.

Author Interview With Ivy Pochoda (+ Giveaway)

Ivy Pochoda is the talented young author behind The Art of Disappearing, a novel which delves into romance, magic, and humanity with absolute beauty. See my review here. After falling in love with The Art of Disappearing I had a few questions for Ivy which she was kind enough to answer.

1. One of the main characters in The Art of Disappearing, Toby, is a magician without the illusions- what made you decide to include magic in your story? Did you ever dabble in magic tricks as a kid?
   
   No, I wasn't all that interested in magic as a kid. But thinking back on it, I did go to see Penn & Teller a lot. But their brand of magic is more cerebral. In high school I became interested in a sort of misogeny I detected in magic, as in all those cutting women in half trick and some sick part of me began to wonder whether there might be magicians out there who harbored secret wishes to do these things.
   
   
2. You clearly capture the sensation of the two main locations the book takes place in, Las Vegas and Amsterdam. I have read that you lived in Amsterdam for many years but grew up in Brooklyn, where did you get your realistic description of the desert from? How important do you think setting is in writing?
   
   I made up most of my descriptions of the desert. I've been to Vegas a number of times and was perversely enchanted by it. I also was enchanted by the desert on the occasions I drove cross country. Setting is seminal to me. If I can't visualize where characters are, I'm lost.
   
   
3. You were an extremely successful squash player. Do you think any of the skills you learned from being a competitive athlete translated into writing a book?
   
   Sure. Becoming a successful athlete is a long term goal. You say to yourself, this year I'm going to rise this many levels in the rankings, the next year, I climb so many more. It requires patience and the ability to see the larger picture, which is precisely what writing a novel is like.
   
   
4. Is there any advice you have for other young aspiring authors that you learned on your quest to publish The Art of Disappearing?
   
   Never give up. Don't listen to others who say your work is too weird, to non-commercial. There is an audience out there.
   
   
5. I absolutely loved The Art of Disappearing and I have to ask, what do you have planned next?
   
   I'm writing a novel set in Brooklyn. The world is short on those! (I kid.) But I love Brooklyn and have my own take on it. It's weird though, since writing this second novel, I've moved to Los Angeles, so I have to conjure places I know by heart from memory.

St. Martins Publisher was kind enough to donate a copy of The Art of Disappearing to one lucky winner (Canada/US Only). There are three ways you can enter: 
1) Leave a comment letting me know about a book that you fell in love with
2) Subscribe to In The Next Room by Google Friend Connect
3) Spread the word of this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link for me to check

Please leave a separate comment for each entry as well as your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. The contest will run until November 12th at midnight MST.

CONTEST CLOSED. 

Congrats Ruthie!