Armchair BEA: Introductions

Today is the launch of Armchair BEA for those of us who can’t travel to the Book Expo America in New York City.

This year’s theme is all about community, and the main goal is to encourage visiting and getting to know the vast number of bloggers/participants. To that end, participants have been asked to answer a handful of questions, and here are my answers…

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

My name is Shelleyrae and I live in a small town on the north coast of Australia with my husband and four children aged 6 to 16. I have two part time jobs (teaching & graphic design) and I read whenever I can. I’d been active on Goodreads for a while when I decided to start a book blog in  2010, just for fun really. Blogging about books is still fun, but it has also become something I take quite seriously and is now a big part of my life.

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

This weeks reading list includes

I have read a lot of great books so far this year but if I have to choose just one, a  favourite it is  Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth, a book that I didn’t expect to like but was swept away by.

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

I suffer from a chronic condition that means I take daily painkillers to get through and don’t sleep very much. Eventually I will have to have major surgery but I have been putting it off for years because it will leave me helpless for around 6-8 weeks. We can’t afford for my husband to have that much time off work and I don’t have anybody nearby to help with the children and so I live it with, and read to escape.

What is your favorite feature on your blog?

This year I am running a feature on Australian Women Writers as part of the the Australian Women Writers Challenge. I have posted reviews, guest posts and interviews with the aim to raise the profile of the fabulous women authors we have in Australia. So far this year I have read 50 books for the challenge, my personal goal is to read 100. You can see the entire list – linked to reviews and features – on my AWW challenge page.

Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

I have always read a lot and across genres but blogging has introduced me to a wider range of books. I used to rely mostly on my library or second hand stores for my reading choices, now I get books via NetGalley, Edelwiess, publishers, Amazon and Book Depository – so much more choice!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you take the time to look around a little, and I’ll be visiting you soon!

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