June 4, 2012

Armchair BEA: Introductions


Armchair BEA is an event (put together by a team of bloggers) intended for people who won't be attending the physical BEA in New York. There's a different topic to write about every day this week, and today, to start things off, we're doing introductions. There are 10 questions to choose from, and we're encouraged to answer at least 5 of them.

So here goes:


1.) Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? 

To everyone who's new to my blog: welcome! I'm Danya, I hail from Vancouver, Canada and I've been blogging for about 2 years now. I got into book blogging because I'd seen some other book blogs while I was surfing the web looking for books to read. I love reading, and at that point I had lots of time on my hands so I figured, why not try it out? I'm kind of amazed that it's 2 years later now and my blog is still going strong!


2.) Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

I spent a year teaching English in Japan. It was a dream of mine for many years, so I'm really happy I was able to fulfill it!

3.) What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)? 


Does an event count as a feature? I worked really hard on Psychtember last year (a blog event focused on YA books dealing with mental health issues) so I'm proud of that. And it will be back this September, so keep an eye out for it!

You tell me: what blog feature of mine do you guys like the most?


4.) What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?

I would love to visit the Beast's castle in Robin McKinley's Beauty, complete with invisible, gossiping servants and books from the future. (Also, I probably wouldn't say no to Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Lothlorien, Rivendell, or Pemberley.)

5.) Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

I'd like to think they've expanded a little. I challenged myself last year to read books outside my comfort zone, and while I didn't get to as many as I'd aimed for, I did read a few that I might not have picked up otherwise. Sometimes I'll try a book due to rave reviews/recommendations from other bloggers — like Anna and the French Kiss and the Vampire Academy series, both of which pleasantly surprised me.

If you're participating in Armchair BEA, you can link up your introduction posts here!

15 comments:

  1. You picked some great places to visit. Teaching in Japan sounds like a lot of fun.

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  2. Nice to visit again. Old follower just saying "hello!" Looking forward to ABEA -- have a great one! My BEA Post

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  3. Wow, teaching English in Japan?! Did you have to know how to speak Japanese to do that? Sounds exciting.

    I like your books with mental health issues event. I can't say I've read many books dealing with that that I've enjoyed or been able to finish. Most recently I tried to read Life Is But A Dream by Brian James and I just couldn't do it.

    Here's my Armchair BEA post for today!

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  4. Oh, the Beast's castle! I didn't even think of that one. Beauty was one of my favorite books in middle school, and I still love it. :)

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  5. My one ambition in life, okay I have more than one, but my most sought-after ambition in life is to go to Japan. I absolutely love the culture and language. That's so cool that you got to teach English there. Do you speak any Japanese?

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  6. I know, I would have never read Vampire Academy or Anna and the French Kiss if it weren't for the buzz abound the blogoshpere. But that's a good thing about blogging...you read books you never would have picked up otherwise!

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  7. Hi Danya! I was nice getting to know more about you. Wow, teaching English in Japan? What an amazing experience! I'm also looking forward to your Psychtember! I think you already know, but I LOVED your Cross my Palms feature! I hope to see it again next year ;) I also just discovered your "YA Through the Ages" feature, which is really awesome too! Have a great day Danya, and I hope to see you around :)

    My introduction post :)

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  8. I agree, I've definitely branched out of my regular comfort zone because of rave reviews from other bloggers - and am normally pleasantly surprised!

    Also, how awesome you taught English in Japan! What a great experience!

    Nice to meet you! Here's my Armchair BEA Intro!

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  9. Yay Canadians! Nice to meet you Dayna! I'd love to go to Japan to teach English, almost went to Taiwan but my parents stopped me. :( My mom was paranoid about me falling into a prostitution ring. (yeah she's insane.) Anyway, good to meet you, this was a great interview!Talk to you soon!

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  10. I love the places you'd like to visit--sometimes I think it wouldn't be so bad to live forever in Pemberley, even without electricity and plumbing. So nice to visit your blog via Armchair BEA!

    http://wp.me/p2bS4K-6g

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  11. Hi Danya *waves* i was soo sure i had read your intro before with psychology, the addiction to chocolate, english teacher etc and then i realised that there has to be common features with all bloggers if we noted them down hehe :)
    I am really interested in this psychtember! especially since i do suffer with mental health issues *embarrassed*
    xxx

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  12. I need to email you back about Psychtember, dear, and I will...soon!!! Ooooh, I love your choice of Beast's castle! I was super tempted to say Hogwarts myself, lol! Haha, we're so alike. I mentioned ANNA for that same reason!!

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  13. Just stopping by to say hi and thank you for all you do to promote books and reading to the on-line world. Book bloggers are awesome!!!

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  14. Vampire Academy was totally outside my comfort zone when I started blogging. I scoffed so much at anything paranormal YA just because of so many bad experiences with the genre, but now there are a few series that are my favourites, including VA... which I adore, hideous & embarrassing covers aside. =b

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  15. I remember Psychtember from last year. Did you end up reading A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler? I loved it and it would fit into your feature.

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