In the Spotlight ~ Twisting the Lens

"In the Spotlight" has become a popular weekly feature. I met so many talented bloggers, today is no exception. We are joined by Jamie from  "Twisting the Lens".  You can also follow Jamie's reviews at goodreads.

Let's all give a big welcome to Jamie!!  Thanks for stopping by today.

When and how did you decide to become a book blogger?
I started blogging about a year ago when I began having more time on my hands. There were so many books that I wanted to read, and I began writing reviews for the books I read, as a way of keeping track of how many I had read. Before I knew it, I was hooked on blogging and began having requests from authors to review their work.

So far, what’s the hardest part of being a book blogger?
It is always tough to not be able to finish a book. I don’t leave too many unfinished, but there really is no good way to tell someone that you did not get into their book enough to be able to finish it for review. Authors put their heart and soul out there, and rejection- no matter how nicely delivered- is never easy to hear.

What do you do when you are not blogging?
Right now, I am in between jobs- so I am eagerly waiting to see where I am lead in that part of my life. Fitness and nutrition is a big part of my life; I enjoy lifting weights and finding new healthy recipes to try. I am also actively involved in the local domestic violence/sexual assault services agency as a board member.

What is your preferred reading device, a Kindle or a Nook (or another electronic book reader), or do you prefer reading a traditional book?
I definitely prefer a print book to anything electronic. There is just something comforting about curling up with one, that I am not sure I could find with an electronic device. I will admit, though, my dad recently got a Kindle Fire, and I am pretty impressed with it. So, e-books may not be too far away for me. I’ll never give up a perfectly bound book, though.

How many followers do you have? How often do you post to your blog?
I have about 150 followers right now- and hopefully growing! I try to post at least four times a week, if not more.

You have a catchy name for your blog, tell us the name and meaning behind, Twisting the Lens.
Originally, I wasn’t sure if I was going to devote my blog to predominately books, so I wanted a more neutral name. I was a sociology major at a liberal arts college, and one of the key things that I learned was viewing the world through different ‘lenses’, or different perspectives. I enjoy taking an idea and seeing how many ways it can be interpreted to find different meanings. I think of it as having a camera, and finding different ways to focus on the topic- or, ‘twisting the lens’.

Who are your three favorite authors?
This is harder than it seems! I really have to break it down into classic authors, and contemporary authors, to be fair.

Classic: Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Anne Bronte

Contemporary: Jeffery Eugenides, Neil Gaiman, and Alice Sebold

Which author would you most like to meet (dead or alive)? Tell us more..
It would be very cool to meet Poe, but I suppose that would make him a zombie, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Neil Gaiman would probably be a better one to meet, on account of the whole not being dead thing.

How big is your TBR pile? How many books do you read/review in a month?
Right now, I have about 45-50 books on my pile. I am able to read and review about 8-12 a month.

Finally, if someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Pretty Dark and Twisty

On A Personal Note
I graduated from Albion College in Albion, MI with a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology, and a minor in Gender Studies. Since then, I have been moving around and bumming around trying to find a job that is the right fit for me. I have a lot of interests, and that sometimes makes me get bored when I am in one job for too long. One day, I hope to own a coffee shop, because that really was the best job ever and I met some really neat people there. People have said I am a bit weird, but I just say I am me.



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