Undersea Spotlight: Jessica at Booked Up!

Posted by Jessi (Geo) on January 29, 2013 | 0 Comments


USSpotlight
 I started this feature here at ASR in order to know your fellow bloggers a little better! If you are interested in being featured please fill out the form
 
USSfeature
 

Meet Jessica! 

Hi! My name is Jessica, and I’m a 14 year old book blogger. I’m from England, and live on the most easterly point in the UK (sounds interesting, but all it means is rain, wind, rain, wind and then more rain!) I’ve been interested in reading for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are focused on reading to my teachers at Pre-school, when I would have been about 4 years old. I am sure I’ve inherited this brilliant passion from my mum, who’s a book freak like me, and also a published author. My favourite type of book is anything YA, apart from horror, of course. I don’t understand why people enjoy horror…even adverts for horror movies terrify me!
 

How long have you been blogging? What made you want to start a book blog?

I’ve been blogging for a year now. My Blogoversary was in January. The year has just flown by, and it feels like I was writing my first ever review just yesterday. I can remember seeing my first follower and jumping around with joy crystal clear. I guess what made me want to start a book blog was simply because books are my hobby, and like all hobbies, it’s important to have someone who has the same so you can chat about it together. My friends think reading is boring, my dad and brother hate it (I don’t know how that’s possible!), and my mum reads totally different genres to me. So, I decided to join a community that talked about nothing but books!
 

What do you do when you’re not blogging or reading?

At the moment I spend my free time trying to catch up on homework. If I’m not writing some sort of essay that I couldn’t care less about, I’m out with my friends, having a laugh down at the park or at the movies. I know this is a very common thing to say, but I truly am an average girl. I’d love to be one of those girls in books that say “I’m just a boring, typical girl.” that then get their life turned upside down and have an adventure of some sort…
 

What is your favorite part about blogging? Least favorite?

My favourite part has to be how my love for reading has gotten even stronger. If it wasn’t for book blogging, I would have missed out on so many brilliant books and would never have tried new genres. My least favourite is easy: the time blogging eats up. Seriously, it takes me so long just to finish one teensy tiny post! So when you’re trying to juggle schoolwork, homework, review books, blogging and seeing friends, I’m normally exhausted.
 

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

I literally have no idea. That probably doesn’t make sense, but it’s true. I was just sitting at the computer, trying to think of names when it just came to me. I had only just started thinking of names when Booked Up! just zapped into my head! Oh, but my blog name always has a ! on the end. I’m very fussy about the ! on Booked Up! Hehe.
 

Do you have any specific book bloggers that inspire you?

Luisa from Chicklish has always been an inspiration to me, as she’s just such a lovely person! She’s so much fun and great to talk to, and I reckon she’s helped at least a hundred bloggers when they were newbies and looking for advice. Of course, book bloggers my age also inspire me. I feel like if a book blogger is around my age, we both understand and appreciate how hard it sometimes is to blog whilst in school, revising for exams etc.
 

What do you look for in a blog when following? What are your pet peeves?

Spelling. I don’t know if this is too fussy, but if I’m reading a blog post and there are a few words that aren’t spelled correctly, I instantly get annoyed. I just think it looks really unprofessional, and blogger has a Spell-check button, so use it! However, I say this but I have terrible spelling!
 

What’s your favorite book(s)?

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt. Such an inspirational book.
 

Favorite author?

Jacqueline Wilson will always have a special place in my Fave Authors List. Jacqueline’s novels are what got me into reading in the first place. Lucky for me, our school library had a massive section just for her, so I would always take as many of her books as I could out at a time. Now, obviously my favourite author has changed, and it’d probably be Julie Kagawa. That author has got such a way with words, and her phenomenal series, The Iron Fey, made me cry multiple times. Also, I love how Julie Kagawa has gone from writing a gorgeous series about fairies to a dark series about Vampires. She can write any type of book and it’ll always be a hit!
 

What is the biggest turn off for you when you’re reading a book?

I suppose if the main character is really nasty I go straight off the book. I like to feel connected to the main character, and to feel like I understand him/her. If the author has made the MC a bully, I just don’t enjoy following their story.
 

What first draws you to a book to make you want to read it?

I shouldn’t really say this but I’m a real sucker for a pretty cover! However, if a book has some rave reviews from some trustworthy bloggers I know, I will be more likely to pick it up.
 

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Creative. Friendly. Joker.
 

Name a random fact about yourself.

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed of becoming incredibly rich so that I could donate all of my money to charity. I’m planning to give half of my money to an animal shelter, and half to a children’s charity. I love it when a celebrity donates a ton of money to people who need it more!
 

Do you have a job? If so, what do you do?

I don’t have a job, but I do volunteer at a retired Greyhound shelter on a regular basis. It’s a great, friendly place run by some lovely people. I spend a lot of my free time getting sponsors to raise money for them. Anyone looking for a Greyhound? Haha!
 

What did you want to be when you were little? Has that changed?

I wanted to be an author (like my role model, Jacqueline Wilson). That has changed a little bit now; instead of being an author, I want to be a publishing editor. More behind the scenes, I guess.
 

Randomness

Cats or dogs?
Ouch, this is a real tough one for me. In my life I’ve had 2 cats and 2 dogs, so they’re pretty even. However, I’ve got to go for dogs, because my cat likes to scratch me and draw blood all of the time, which is never fun.
 
Favorite animal?
Tigers, lions, panthers, cougars, snow leopards. Basically anything at all in the cat family. Although I do have a soft spot for pandas!
 
White, dark, or milk chocolate?
Milk chocolate every time. Too much white chocolate makes me sick, and just one square of dark chocolate makes me gag!

Coke or Pepsi? I hate both of them. Can I say Tango or Fanta instead please?

Favorite TV show?
An Idiot Abroad. It’s the most hilarious show I’ve ever seen, and Karl Pilkington reminds me of my dad. That is not a compliment!

Favorite movie?
Titanic. Titanic. Titanic. The first time I saw that heart-wrenching movie, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. So I watched it a second time. Then a third time. Now I’ve just lost count. And teenage Leonardo DiCaprio? Yes please!

Color?
Blood red. Sounds creepy, but it’s been my favourite colour for years.
 

Thanks for being here today, Jessica! It was fantastic getting to know you!

 

Find Jessica:

 

 

Jessi (Geo)

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