Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Armchair BEA 2013: Intro!

Happy Tuesday, lovely readers!  I hope you all (or at least the US followers) had a great Memorial Day weekend.  I went kind of MIA around here, as we were busy traveling to my parent's house in CT, playing outside with Small Fry, and eating way too much food.

BUT, I am back this morning with my Armchair BEA intro post.  For my non-blogger readers, Armchair BEA coincides with the Book Expo America convention in NYC--a convention that I DESPERATELY wanted to attend this year, but due to finances and such minutae, was unable to do so.  So, the next best thing is Armchair BEA--an online "convention" for all the book bloggers that couldn't make it to NYC this week.  :)

Today is the Armchair BEA kickoff, and all participants are doing intro posts...so here are five quick questions/answers to tell you a little about me and the bloggy blog:

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

Many of you already know this, but: I'm Kelly.  I'm almost-not-quite-30.  I live in Upstate New York with my husband, my almost-2-year-old son (referred to here as Small Fry), and a very hairy dog.  I've been book blogging since August 2012.  I got into it because I already had a pretty long history with personal blogging, BUT I honestly found my personal life to be rather boring fodder for blog posts.  I've been a psychotically devoted reader for as long as I can remember, so I decided that books would be way more fun to write about than the home-buying process, or the trials and tribulations of breastfeeding.  (You're welcome.)
Me, Small Fry, and some actual fries.
2. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

Currently I'm in the midst of two print books (Mama's Child by Joan Steinau Lester, and Cooked by Michael Pollan) and one audiobook (The Round House by Louise Erdrich).  So far I'm loving Cooked the most, CANNOT put it down.
Best of 2013 so far?  Hard to choose, but it might be Indiscretion by Charles Dubow.

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

My first year in college, I was a Pathobiology major (which is a fancy way of saying Animal Microbiology, basically).  For one of the intro animal science courses, I had to train a sheep.  Do you know how impossible it is to train a sheep?  I spent weeks just trying to get a leash on my freaking sheep (who I named Eddie, after my younger brother, because it was so stubborn...I know, I'm a jerk).  Then I had to train it to walk in a straight line for an agriculture show.  Not to mention all the hours I spent shearing it beforehand.  Needless to say, by sophomore year I was a Family Studies major.

4. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? 

I have a lot of authors that I would love to meet, but they would probably make me so nervous that I'd be a terrible dinner date (I'm looking at you, Stephen King).  However, I am a fanatic for Michael Pollan's books, and he does not seem too intimidating, so I think I'd go with him.  Especially because his books are based on food--so who better to share a meal with?
As for fictional characters, I'd love to meet Lisbeth Salander, even though I'm quite sure she'd want nothing to do with me.

5. What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?  

I wish that Derry, Maine was a real place.  I'd like to visit...for about 10 seconds.

Happy Armchair BEA, peeps!

40 comments:

  1. Bahahaha! I'm dying of laughter picturing you with that sheep! That struck me as hilarious :) Thanks so much for sharing that Kelly, chuckle chuckle. Nice to get to know you better ;)

    Small Fry is the cutest!

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    1. Oh yes, it is quite funny in hindsight. My mom has pictures of me and "Eddie" at the agriculture show. Those will go down in history for sure...

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  2. I've read some awesome excerpts from Cooked.

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    1. It's SO interesting. You have to be okay with a little bit of food science thrown in, but if you've enjoyed Pollan's other books it's totally worth a read.

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  3. The sheep story is hilarious! I have two little boys...a 4 year old and a 6 year old. Hope you enjoy ArmchairBEA!

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    1. Thanks Dana! I bet those 2 boys keep you mighty busy. I have one and I feel like I ran a marathon most days! haha.

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  4. That's so funny you named the sheep after your brother! I've never tried to train one, but it doesn't sound easy. What kind of stuff do you study with a Family Studies major? Sounds interesting. Hope you have fun at Armchair BEA this year. I'm so excited it's finally here.

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    1. Most people in the Family Studies major with me were thinking about going into Social Work or Early Child Education after graduation. I ended up getting a masters in Education Administration and I work in student affairs at a university. So, it's pretty versatile I guess!

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  5. I've also been book blogging since August of last year! And the sheep story is so funny!
    Nice to meet you!
    Chelle

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    1. Nice to meet you too! I've met several bloggers who started last August. Apparently it's the cool thing to do at the end of summer?

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  6. Bwahahahahaha! You trained a sheep! Funny sheep story. I used to intern for a radio station. Living in the sticks as I do, one of the stations under our umbrella had a bit Ag component. In the summer it would travel to local fairs and I'd go with to set up remote broadcasts. Once, a sheep tried to eat my extension cord. No lie. WTF, sheep?!

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    1. Seriously, sheep are so freaking stubborn. What's up with that?

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  7. Small Fry is very cute! What a great story about the sheep. It's the sort of stroy that sounds great afterwards but at the time it's a big pain.

    Have a fun ArmchairBEA time!

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  8. A fellow New Yorker here...how far upstate are you? I'm in Rockland County.

    I love your sheep story - and would totally name one after my brothers (I have 4 so lots to pick from!) if I were training one.

    It would be interesting to sit down with Lisbeth Salandar...Oh how I wish there were more books to that series!

    Enjoy ArmchairBEA!
    My Intro Post

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    1. Saratoga County here, a bit further into the great white north. :)

      And YES, oh what I would do for more Salander novels!!

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  9. Oh dear, that sounds a crazy assignment! All I've heard of King's books, Pollan does sound better company for a dinner party.

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    1. Yes, I think King would just intimidate me with his very presence. If I'm eating dinner with someone I want to be able to hold a conversation without tripping over my own tongue...

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  10. I love picturing you trying to train a sheep! I can imagine it well - I had 30 pet lambs, growing up (I had the worst luck, they kept dying on me, all except the last one who, because of her breed, was returned to the flock), unlike my siblings who would have one lamb they'd rescued, it would flourish and stay with us for many many years. They were - are - one of my favourite animals, but train them? Ha! You can train sheep to a point, over many years, in places like WALES! Good for you for trying, though! :D

    I'm not familiar with the Derry, Maine reference - fill me in?

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    1. OMG, THIRTY lambs??? Go you! This one sheep nearly drove me insane, lol.

      Derry is a fictional place that gets used in a lot of Stephen King novels. It's QUITE creepy.

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  11. What a fun story about training a sheep! At least you got that out of your first major, right? :) I still maintain my personal blog, but it is reaaaaaaallly boring. And only checked by my parents, really.

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    1. Yeah, I have mine available to just a few people, and I hardly ever update. Not as fun as this one ;)

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  12. You needed a sheep dog for your class. ;) I know how you feel about being a poor dinner "date" I would be so nervous I would either clam up (bad) or blather on (worse). Love Day one of ABEA!

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    1. Who am I kidding, I would probably clam up with Pollan too. I have total author awe. Haha.

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  13. Were the other people able to train a sheep? There actually is an adorable dog that looks like a sheep called the Bedlington Terrier. Seriously, google it. It's too cute.

    I love the picture of you, Small Fry, and real fries. It made me smile.

    Here's my Armchair BEA introduction.

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    1. Yes, amazingly some others were able to do it well (as evidenced by the prizes they won). They all had a LOT more farm experience than I did though!

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  14. Love the story about training the sheep! That's something you don't hear every day. :)

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  15. Love the sheep story! I also agree that Derry, Maine would be a great place to visit for a few seconds only :-)

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    1. Haha yes, it's just my morbid curiosity that makes me want to go there. Just not into the sewers...

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  16. Derry, Maine!? Brave!
    Although I guess I'd rather go there than 1960 Dallas... :)

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  17. Hahaha what came to mind while reading your sheep story was how to train a dragon. It seems sheep are harder to train than a dragon! (:
    hope you enjoy Armchair BEA!

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    1. I would totally agree with that statement. hahaha.

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  18. LOL awesome sheep story! I just saw Michael Pollan in Kansas City on his "Cooked" book tour a few weeks ago—if you have the chance to see his live, take it. He was very personable and engaging, and I can't wait to get into the book!

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    1. I should see if he is touring around here! I would love to hear him speak. The new book is fascinating.

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  19. Haha, like everyone else who commented I'm laughing at the sheep story xD

    I wish I'd known more about this Armchair BEA in advance (especially as I definitely couldn't attend the real thing, haha) - or I would've joined in!

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    1. You should participate next year! I am going to try again...hopefully with better results :)

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