Today you're going to be treated to this wonderful interview with Naida, who runs The Bookworm blog and crochets. She's one of my oldest blog friends, and among the reasons I enjoy visiting her blog are the large variety of reading recommendations, author interviews and guest posts, fun memes, and regular doses of Pablo Neruda and other great poets.
Before we start with the interview, here's a bio of Naida:
Bio
Naida is a daydreamer who works a full time job to support her book and yarn obsession. She married her high school sweetheart nearly seventeen years ago and is a proud mom of two. She loves it that people mistake her for being her children's older sister; it's a special treat, and she soaks it up. After attaining an Associates in Business Admin, she's been working in the banking industry for about a decade but hopes to make her way back to school one day for her Bachelors Degree.
Naida's favorite past times include reading books with her daughter, listening to her son play original melodies on his acoustic guitar and cuddling up to watch tv with her hubby. She likes to go hiking with her family in the summertime and she likes to go running, when she finds the time.
She enjoys good music, the kind that makes her stop and think about life and love. Books and poetry that break her heart are always her favorites.
Naida has a chihuahua named Diego who thinks he's her third child; come to think of it, he kind of is. She's a Jersey girl who curses in Spanish when she's really angry but she doesn't like to get angry often because life is too short and precious to waste on being mad. Her hero is her mother, her favorite foods are lasagna and her mother-in-law's homemade spinach pie, she's a chocoholic and her favorite band is Mumford & Sons. She hugs and kisses her kids every night before bed and she counts her blessings every day.
Now, on to the interview!
HK: Why did you start a book blog?
Naida: I started my book blog because I wanted someplace I could write down my thoughts about the books I was reading. I visited a few book blogs online and I thought that looked like something I could do too. I already had my crochet blog going, but I wanted to be able to chat books as well.
HK: What have been the greatest rewards of blogging? How about the greatest challenges?
Naida: My book blog has been the perfect outlet for my reading obsession as well as a wonderful way to connect with fellow book lovers, publicists and authors. It's been a fantastic experience. Book blogging has really broadened my reading horizons. I've discovered wonderful books and authors via blogging, I may not have found them otherwise.
The greatest challenge that comes from blogging is finding the time to do so.
HK: When you think of books you've loved, what do they have in common? What do you think makes for a great book?
Naida: The books I've loved tend to have memorable, well developed characters, interesting storylines and settings, as well as a touch of romance that reads as being genuine and deep. I think books that have unforgettable characters who the reader finds endearing and complex, really resonate. I want characters to jump off the page as I read and I want to think about them when the last page is turned.
HK: If you could pick any three authors, dead or alive, to discuss books with who would they be and why?
Naida: Fun question! First and foremost, I'd have to chat with the fabulous Jane Austen, I think it'd be amazing to pick her brain and ask her about her life, her inspiration and her writing. Secondly I'd like to ask Phillipa Gregory how she is able to breathe life into her characters and whip up such wonderful storylines, while weaving historical fact with fiction.
And lastly, it may sound odd, but my heart belongs to Stephen King. I'd like to ask him about his writing process and chat books with him. I want to know if he scares himself with his own stories and needs to sleep with a nightlight on.
It's hard to stop at just three, because I'd love to sit with Nicholas Sparks and just stare at him all dreamy eyed as he talks about his books.
HK: You also have a talent for crocheting and have given it a literary twist before (like with your crochet Cthulu). Which crochet projects are you most proud of? Where do you get your inspiration?
Naida: Crocheting is a creative outlet for me, I just love to crochet items and design my own patterns as well. It's such a great way to express myself. I'm proud of things I make for my family. I love to see something I crocheted bring a smile to a loved one's face. Another thing I am proud of is that some of the crochet patterns I've designed have been published yearly in the Crochet Pattern A Day Calendars since 2005. Each year when a new calendar comes out, they send me a copy and I squeal with glee to see my patterns published. It's pretty great.
My inspiration comes from many sources really. The books I read, my favorite films and nature all inspire me. Last time I went to the Botanical Gardens with my family, I was inspired to crochet flowers soon after.
HK: If you could have your life story told as a memoir, a novel, or a poem, which would you pick, and why?
Naida: I think a novel based on true events would be nice. Memoirs can be whiny sometimes, not everyone reads poetry and I think a book based on real life would make for an interesting story.
Thanks, Naida!
