Book Blogger Spotlight: Snuggly Oranges

Hi there! My name is Debby and I'm 21 years old. Wow, every time I type that I'm still kind of shocked. When did I suddenly become an adult? Anyway, I live in the Netherlands, but spent most of my childhood in the US. Besides being an avid reader, I'm currently studying marketing and should be earning my master's degree this year, which is also quite terrifying.

When and why did you become a book blogger?

I finally read The Hunger Games back in February 2012. I fell in love. I wasn't a big reader before that, but that series kind of triggered my reading addiction. I started reading more and more, and ended up at Goodreads. I loved it for keeping track of my reading lists and ratings. Not soon after that I started writing mini-reviews there to kind of remind myself of my opinions of the books I read, but as I came across all these book blogs, I thought that would be an even better platform. I started my blog on October 20th, 2012.

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

Ha, yeah, Snuggly Oranges. I actually have Rock Band to thank for this. It was a randomly generated band name there, and I just found it so hilarious that it kind of stuck with me. When I finally decided to make a blog and was thinking of names, I kept coming back to it. I thought it would be better to have something that's a bit quirky and funny that people will remember, rather than go for some generic name.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I absolutely love getting feedback from my readers. I love hearing that they decide to check out a book because of my review. The satisfaction that I'm helping them find new reads is just immense. But also, with my discussion feature "Book Nerd Problems" I really love seeing that I'm not alone in some of my quirks and awkwardness. It makes me feel so much closer to my fellow bloggers.

What do you find the hardest about blogging?

I have a hard time with the fact that I want to have consistent high quality content but I often don't have the time for that. I have to actively remind myself that it's a hobby and I don't necessarily have to post 5 times a week, though I really try to.

Does your blog participate in any weekly features and if so which is your favorite?

I participate in two memes: Waiting on Wednesday and Top Ten Tuesday. I definitely love TTT more because making those lists just gets me thinking about all the great books I've read in the past and seeing others' lists usually makes my TBR list grow. But I also have my weekly discussion feature, Book Nerd Problems, which I love because it allows me to rant about whatever's on my mind and gets a great discussion going.

What has been your favorite moment since you became a book blogger? Which review, interview or giveaway have you been most proud of?

The first couple months of blogging I was really distant and more kind of doing my own thing, but then this thing happened - I found Twitter and it was an instant love. No but honestly, I loved that all of a sudden this switch was flipped, and I found all these amazing bloggers on there and we had amazing (and nerdy) conversations. It just made blogging much more fun. So I really should thank people like Amber and Judith for that. But the post I'm most proud of? My Book Nerd Problems discussion on being socially awkward. It was the most fun to write and just reading the comments was priceless.

What kind of genres do you enjoy reading and reviewing the most?

My first love is dystopian fiction, sparked by The Hunger Games, but even before that, I loved 1984 and Brave New World. I'm also a huge fan of fantasy and science-fiction, and any novels based on Greek mythology get bonus points in my book.

What is your favorite individual book or series? What makes you love it so much?

Well Harry Potter. There's no getting around that. That series is perfect, and it really was my childhood. I didn't really like reading at all as a kid... except for Harry Potter. And of the seven books, my favorite will always be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because, well, Sirius, Lupin, and time travel.

Who is your favorite fictional male character, why and from what book or series are they from?

I actually think I'd go with Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan. He's quirky and hilarious, but totally brave and courageous when it counts. I love his voice.

Who is your favorite fictional female character, why and from what book or series are they from?

That's a tough one. I think I'd still go for Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, for being everything I wish I could be and still being very relatable. But she's closely followed by Hermione Granger from Harry Potter and Yukiko from Stormdancer.

Who are your favorite three authors and why?

Well first off, J.K. Rowling, always and forever. Her writing is flawless and she is a master storyteller. I think after her would be Jay Kristoff. He is just hilarious and awesome, and Stormdancer is one of my favorite books ever. Then I think I would go for John Green. Though I still haven't read all his books, he really gets nerdy people like me and I love Nerdfighteria.

If you could turn one book or series into films, what would you pick and who would you cast as the main characters?

Look, I really want the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout to have a movie. That series makes my heart flutter and I really just want to see that on the big screen. I've actually thought about casting for that, and I definitely want Shelley Hennig as Katy, and Brant Daugherty as Daemon. I may have illustrated a scene from Onyx with gifs of those two.

What books are you most looking forward to in 2013?

My top three would have to be Ink by Amanda Sun, Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff, and Penryn & the End of Days #2 by Susan Ee. Oh and Inferno by Dan Brown. I mention that I can't wait for that one almost on a daily basis. Oh and Just One Year by Gayle Forman, and The House of Hades by Rick Riordan, and Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout... EEK this list is long. *hides*

Paper books or ebooks?

I wouldn't be a true book nerd if I didn't say paper books. I do read a lot on my ereader, but still, the feeling of a physical copy in my hands... nothing beats that.

Where is your favorite place to read?

For me, it's my bed. My bed is just super comfy, but I also live in one room, so I don't have many other options, haha.

Milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?

Dark chocolate all the way.

Coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate?

I'm totally a tea fan! I actually don't like coffee at all, and hot chocolate is like... too much effort?

Would you like to give any other details about yourself? How can others find you around the web? Such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc...

Blog: http://www.snugglyoranges.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/snugglyoranges
Tumblr: http://snugglyoranges.tumblr.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/snugglyoranges
Formspring: http://www.formspring.me/snugglyoranges

Clearly I fail at short answers, but this was a lot of fun! Thank you so much, Christine, for having me and for hosting this awesome feature.