2015 Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Questionnaire

Welcome to the 2015 Book Blogger Love-A-Thon! I actually had no idea this even existed until I was going through my email feed and saw a bunch of blogs posting about it. I thought I'd join in at the last minute! I'm hoping to make some great blogger friends and hopefully learn some things about all of you - and answering questions about me! Which leads to the topic of this first post:

The Questionnaire!

  I think this is a fabulous idea! I subscribe to and follow so many awesome blogs out there, but when I think about it - I really don't know much about them aside from their posts. Which, I'm guessing, is the same way you all feel too. So here we go - get to know a little more about me!  :)

1. What’s your name? Stephanie - or Steph, whichever

2. Where in the world are you blogging from? Pennsylvania, USA

3. How did you get into blogging in the first place? I have been an avid reader since I was little. However, I live out in the country (the nearest town only has 1 stop light) and I have nobody to talk to about my love of books! There's nobody in my family who loves to read like I do and none of my friends really do either. I would get so excited or mad after reading a book, but there's nobody here to talk about it. So, I decided I would start a blog where I wrote my thoughts (reviews) of all the books I read. 

4. How did you come up with your blog name? I'm a HUGE fan of Edgar Allan Poe and one of my favorite poems has a verse in it that contains the name I chose for my blog: A Dream Within A Dream. And I thought it was fitting because reading lets you escape for a bit - just like dreaming!

5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog? I love a huge range of genres and my blog reflects that. I don't pin myself (or my blog) down to just one genre - I just wouldn't be able to! On that note, I do a ton of everything - YA, New Adult, paranormal, fantasy, dystopia, science fiction, contemporary, etc. You name it and I probably have read at least one book in that genre. That is, except for westerns, Amish fiction, most nonfiction, and those romance novels with the cheesy covers (no offense to those who enjoy them!).

6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews? Just like with my wide range of genres, I do a huge variety of posts on my blog. Tour stops, interviews, guest posts, giveaways, spotlights/features, excerpts - you name it and I'm probably game!

7. Best blogging experience so far? My fangirling moments. Which get ruined completely by my husband and family having no idea who the book or author is. These have all been big fangirling moments - when I get tweets from some favtorite authors or when authors write on my FB wall wishing me a Happy Birthday or thanking me for a review I did. I still freak out! My mind is boggling the fact that this huge celebrity (which authors are for me) that's a bestseller or whatever, is talking to ME? Little old me? And they're thanking me or wishing me a Happy Birthday? OMG - mind is blown every time, even now. The same goes with personal emails from authors - it's the same concept of not understanding why the would write me an email - or write me back from one I happened to send them. Lastly, when I get signed books. Sometimes I'll be on a blog tour for a big title coming out, and I'll get my review copy in the mail with a little note to me personally from the author! Extreme freaking out. I get pretty excited when I happen to get books that are just signed by the author. I guess anything having to do with personal-ish interactions with authors have been the best experiences I've had so far.

8. Favorite thing about the blogging community? All the fantastic bloggers out there - ones I've met and made friends with and those I haven't yet found. After I had been blogging for a few months, I still felt completely out of the loop (still do actually!) - like I was on the outside of these groups of bloggers who were all friends, and I was just kind of there. Does that make sense? Big confession here: I still feel this way! I've been blogging for quite some time now and I honestly don't have any real blogger friends. Maybe I could include a couple that I've exchanged a few emails with, but that's it. I'm SO shy in real life - talking to people and making friends is hard for me - and I'm starting to wonder if that's what's going on with making online friends. I feel like such a loser sometimes because all of these blogs I follow talk about their blogger friends and how much they mean to them, etc. I can't say that! This is turning into a small rant/catharsis, and I apologize for that. I guess I thought that being in a huge online community with other people who love the same things as me would make it easier to talk to people and make friends. I don't know what I'm doing wrong! Like I said, maybe I don't talk to other people enough or comment on their posts enough, but it makes me quite sad. Again - sorry for that outburst of emotions. I guess it was pent up a bit.

9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2015! First of all - WHY would you guys try to limit us to only 5 books?! Anyone who is a book lover knows this is impossible to accomplish. I think there are like over 100 books that are on my 2015 TBR. Here are some titles I'm looking forward to this year: The Library at Mont Char by Scott Hawkins, A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis, The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater, The Uninvited by Cat Winters, Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong, Alive by Scott Sigler, Survive the Night by Danielle Vega, Stiletto by Daniel O'Malley, Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine, Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast, Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett, and The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy.

10. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read? The Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shirvington! I've seen some reviews - and they're pretty much all positive - but it seems like not a lot of people are reading these books. This series is one of my all time favorites for sure!

11. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF? Can I pick someone I would like to be my book BFF? That's an easier question. I would go with Violet from The Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shirvington or Rachel Morgan from The Hollows series by Kim Harrison.

12. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests? I love watching movies, have a huge love for watching certain TV series, napping (does that even count?), learning foreign languages - I used to be almost fluent in French and I've taken some Russian and German courses in college. I have a goal to be fluent in at least 10 different languages some day. Oh - and writing my own books and becoming an awesome author. ;)

13. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for? Hmmm.... that's tough. When I actually do go shopping, it's about 99% book related. I guess the other things would be clothes (I have a strange obsession with hoodies) and jewelry.

14. At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing? This is SO hard! I don't have a "song." I'm really into modern hard rock, especially with female lead singers. Also - I'm not ashamed of this at all - I have a strange and unhealthy obsession with 90s music. I'm pretty sure it's because of the great memories they bring back from that time in my life. I can't think of one song that's my jam right now. Hmm.

15. Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book. I absolutely LOVE the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Those books would be awesome if they made movies of them - but it would have to be done by a big company so it wouldn't look B-rated (or dumb) and all the effects would have to be realistic. It would rock my world. Side note: I heard a rumor that they are actually turning this into a TV series in Britain? Possibly for BBC? I'm not sure, so don't quote me on that.

Alright everyone - I hope you feel like you know me at least a tiny bit after reading my answers. Leave me a comment on what your answer would be to one of the questions! Or if you're participating in the event and did a questionnaire - leave me a link!! I'll be sure to stop by!