Simona's Corner of Dreams: Blogger Q&A with Arielle Deltoro

1. Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born in New York, but since we moved before I turned 1, I’ve always called Southern California home.

2. How long have you been blogging and why did you start doing it?

Technically I started my blog in May 2014 because I wanted to read a close friend’s Wordpress blog posts. At the time, I didn’t realize that you didn’t have to have a Wordpress account to read others’ blogs. I didn’t really get into book blogging until the end of August 2014 when I found out about NetGalley through a fellow blogger. Once I found out about that site, I was hooked, and from then on began consistently blogging on a regular basis and sharing my book reviews.

3. What is the name of the book you most recently blogged about?

Right now (late January), the last book I blogged about was in a ‘Waiting on Wednesday’ post for a novel called ‘Dog Day Wedding’ by one of my favorite new authors, Rich Amooi. I enjoyed his first novel ‘Five Minutes Late’ and fell in love with his writing style; needless to say, I’m looking forward to his second novel.

4. What did you think about the cover?

At this point in time, in answering these questions, I haven’t seen the cover yet. Based on his first novel, I’m thinking it will be just as cute and enticing. By the time this interview is shared, his novel will have been released, so go check it out!

5. If you could ask the Author 3 questions, what would they be?

I’ve actually set up my own Author interview with Rich, which is scheduled for my blog late January/early February.

6. What is your most favorite character and why?

I’m not sure if this question is referring to the last book, but I’m going to assume it stands alone. One of my all-time favorite book characters is Tris Prior from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Her character is a beautiful juxtaposition of the human mind; afraid but brave, weak but strong, unsure but confident. Divergent was one of my favorite book series and I loved the characters that Veronica created.

7. What genre is your favorite and why?

My absolute favorite genre for enjoyment is what most people classify as ‘chic-lit’. If I’m going to spend my time sitting down to read a book strictly for my entertainment, I want it to be something that will make me laugh. I’m generally not interested in romance novels that have half-naked men and scantily clad women on the covers. I’m more interested in reading about the relationships that people form and the events that occur in their lives rather than just reading for the sex scenes.

8. If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what 3 books would you want with you?

If I was shipwrecked on an island I would want the three books that would help me create shelter, find food and water, and create a way to find my way back to civilization. That’s my cheat answer. If I was truly stranded on a desert island, I would need WAY more than 3 books to keep me happy!

9. Is there an Author that you would really like to meet?

Can I say all of them? I absolutely adore all of the authors that I’ve ‘met’ through social media and book blogging and I would love to meet every single author whose books I’ve enjoyed over time. Authors are generally the only celebrities I care to meet because you can have an in-depth conversation about their work and what inspires them.

10. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks or hardcover?

When I was growing up my immediate answer would have been paperback. They are relatively inexpensive (compared to the hardbacks) and they are easier to transport than hardbacks. However, as we have come into the digital age and I bought an iPad, I have definitely become an e-reader fanatic. I LOVE having all of my books available at any moment, on one device. Once I started book blogging, the ability to read a digital copy on my iPad made the entire process incredibly easy. It’s easier for an author to send an ARC to reviewers digitally than it would be to send a physical copy of the book. Mind you, I still love the feeling of a paperback book in my hand, especially when it’s signed for you on the front inside cover! I do have a huge collection of hardback ‘coffee table’ books that I love.

11. Where do you prefer to buy your books?

Since I mostly read e-books, Amazon is the easiest source for purchasing books. There are quite a few sites that make it easy to find free novels from the authors. Twitter is a great place to find temporary markdowns on books that are being promoted by authors and other book bloggers.

12. Have you ever read a book more than once?

Generally the only time I re-read a book is when it is about to come out in the movie theatres. I’ll re-read the book in order to remember the small details that I may have forgotten. For example; Harry Potter, Divergent, The Hunger Games, Twlight, etc.

13. What book are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading ‘The School Gate Survival Guide’ by Kerry Fisher. I won a signed paperback copy from a weekly online reading challenge that I found out about through Twitter, hosted by @ThisChickReads. Now that I mostly read digital copies on my iPad, I only read paperbacks when I take a bath. I’m getting through the book slowly but surely and am enjoying every minute of it!

14. What book are you about to start reading?

I am about to start reading ‘Caching In’ by Tracy Krimmer. I will be sharing my review and an author interview the first week of February on my blog.

15. Have you read a book that you would like to rewrite the ending of?

Without a doubt, the only book that I have ever read that I desperately wished I could change was ‘Allegiant’, the third book in the Divergent series. I won’t ruin it for anyone that hasn’t read it yet, but I will say that I was extremely disappointed in Veronica Roth as a storyteller and her decision to do what she did in the end of the novel.

16. Do you have a favorite book cover? Choose up to 3 if you like.

I don’t have 3 favorite book covers that I can list because I love too many covers. I will tell you that 9 times out of 10, I prefer an illustrated book cover. There’s just something about the colors and images and the fact that there aren’t pictures of actual people on the cover that I love. That’s not to say that novels with people on the cover are any less fabulous, but everyone knows that people DO tend to judge a book by its’ cover.

17. If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?

If I could plan the perfect holiday, it would be an around-the-world cruise that stops at many ports. I’ve only been on a cruise once, but it was the best vacation I’ve ever taken. You get to leave your personal belongings safe inside your room, explore different locations for an afternoon, and then get back on the ship for delicious food and drinks.

18. How often do you blog?

I try to have a blog post everyday. There are a few weekly ‘events’ that I participate in, I have the occasional author interview, I share book reviews, and on the days I don’t have a book-related post, I share a Quote of the Day post. I recently decided to start a weekly ‘Monday Musings’ post where I write a post about something that has nothing to do with books or reading. It gives me a chance to write about something that’s been on my mind.

19. What’s your favorite color?

My favorite color is leopard…. No, but really, my favorite color is turquoise and I tend to live in leopard and black.

20. What are 5 items you never leave home without?

I can never leave my house without my iPhone (I can’t live without my phone!), chapstick (either a Clinque Chubby Stick or a Sugar fresh lip treatment), a bottle of water, (it’s important to stay properly hydrated) sunscreen on my face and neck (I don’t want any premature wrinkles), and a little bit of blush on my cheeks.

21. Favorite book character crush. Yes, you can pick 2 :)

My favorite book character crush is Four from the Divergent series and Peeta from the Hunger Games series. They are both strong, honorable characters and they do everything in their power to protect the important people in their lives. Oh, and the fact that they’re gorgeous is just the cherry on top. ;)

22. Sleep in or get up early?

I’m generally an early riser.

23. Summer or Winter?

Both.

24. White wine or red?

Red.

25. Coffee or tea?

Coffee

26. Where can we find you?

My blog: www.LivingLifeWithJoy.com

My facebook page: www.facebook.com/ArielleDeltoro

My goodreads page: www.goodreads.com/user/show/34161623-arielle-deltoro