Armchair BEA: Who I Am, an Introduction

Well hellooo, and welcome to A Book and a Latte! Yes, this is an official introduction post for the 2011 Armchair BEA. To my followers, thank you so much for following my blog, and I hope you like getting to know the girl behind the posts a little more. To the newcomers — WELCOME! I’m really excited to be participating in this year’s Armchair BEA, and look forward to getting to know all the other participants.

To introduce myself, and this blog… here’s a question and answer session as a mock interview.

When and why did you start book blogging?
Though I’ve been reading book blogs for a while, I am new to the book blogging world. A Book and a Latte was “born” on May 11th, 2011. That’s right, it’s only been online for two weeks (as of tomorrow)! It was up and running for a little over a day and then the Blogger Apocalypse happened… which was interesting… since a bunch of formatting changes, posts, static pages, and comments just disappeared! Basically, the meat of my little book blog was gone… thankfully it slowly started to reappear but I had to re-do a lot of work in the process.

I was a ferocious reader growing up. I used to get grounded for staying up all night reading with a flashlight, and detention for sneaking books in class! Then I went to college and I just didn’t have the time or energy to read for enjoyment. I started reading again afterwards, but it just wasn’t the same… until I embraced the YA genre! The Harry Potter Series and Twilight Saga reignited my passion for reading and once I accepted my love for all things YA, I fell in love with books again! I still read all kinds of books, but YA is where my heart is… I started this blog as a way to share my passion for reading… and really all things YA – reads, TV shows, movies, and anything else that catches my eye.

Who are you?
My name is Jennifer (but you can call me Jen), I’m in my early thirties, and I live in a suburb outside of Denver with my husband and pup-dog Koda. We love living in Colorado, and feel lucky to have such a huge playground (the mountains) in our backyard. I have a B.S. in Engineering Physics, and currently work as a Systems Engineering Consultant. I started my own consulting business, and I enjoy being my own boss, working primarily from home, and my flexible schedule!

What genres do you usually read?
I primarily read the YA genre and all it’s fabulous sub-genres. My favorites right now are paranormal, romance, contemporary, and dystopian.

Do you have a favorite book series?
This is hard… I’ll start with the obvious – The Harry Potter Series, the Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, The Wolves of Mercy Falls, and most recently, the Hex Hall series!

What are your other hobbies?
Besides reading, I enjoy watching TV/movies, listening to music, playing the piano, hanging out with friends, playing games (anything from cards to board games to video games), hiking/snowshoeing, camping, traveling and SCUBA diving when I have the opportunity.

What TV shows and movies do you like to watch? 
I’m a self-admitted TV addict. I heart my TiVo. I watch all kinds of shows… The Vampire Diaries (my fav), American Idol, Parenthood, Criminal Minds, Castle, Friday Night Lights (love!), Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, The Voice, and So You Think You Can Dance (another fav)… there’s more but this list is already long and embarrassing :). I love movies too! Some all time favorites are Dirty Dancing, Good Will Hunting, The Abyss, Top Gun, anything by John Hughes with the “Brat Pack” (Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, etc.). I’m also a sucker for anything dance related – Step Up, Center Stage, Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance…

What are you looking forward to most for Armchair BEA?
I’m most looking forward to meeting other like minded bloggers! My experience so far has been amazing. The book blogging community has been so supportive, welcoming, and helpful! I’ve learned so much!

Where will you be while participating in Armchair BEA?
I will be blogging and browsing ABEA from my Macbook while lounging on my chaise I scored from overstock.com, I love it!

Thanks to Kristin from Beneath Shining Stars, I Read for the idea of doing a mock interview as an introduction post, and offering to share her questions! Please go check out her blog too!