Undersea Spotlight: Nicole and Ashley at The Quiet Concert

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

[Nicole] Ashley suggested we start blogging on 12/18/12 to be exact, and two weeks later we had a blog! I was severely lacking in friends to talk books with and was inspired by some of the book blogs I kept tabs on. To be completely honest, I was already reading and reviewing on Goodreads and naively didn’t think it would be much more work. Safe to say I had no idea what I was getting into, but even if I did, I would still make the same decision. It has been such a rewarding experience. 

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

[Nicole] Umm… very little? O_O. Hah, I’m a big homebody. Working, reading, sleeping, and running probably consume most of my time. I have a few close friends that keep my sane and I try to travel regularly.

[Ashley] Playing with my puppy or hanging out with the boyfriend (who happens to write a bit of code and make pretty pictures for our blog).

What is your favorite part about blogging? Least favorite?

[Nicole] My favorite part about blogging is the people! Gosh, I NEVER imagined how wonderful and supportive the people I met would be and it makes all the work so worth it. I seriously love being a part of this community. My least favorite part though has to be the time commitment. I have a bit of an obsessive personality and I probably spend 98% of my free time on blog-related activities. It’s not healthy for my social life.

[Ashley] My favorite part has to be reading comments and seeing the reactions others have to books. The blogging community! Least favorite, hmm would have to be losing blog posts because blogger is acting funny.

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

[Nicole] I just remember looking in a bunch of different places for inspiration and throwing around name combinations. When I suggested The Quiet Concert to Ashley she loved it and that was that!

Do you have any specific book bloggers that inspire you?

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

[Nicole] First things first, I look for similar tastes in books. After that, there really is no set formula. I like blogs that inspire me in some way and bloggers who will talk books with me. There isn’t a specific thing that I can think of that will turn me off of a blog.

[Ashley] Similarities in book taste and reviews that catch my interest or are funny. A pet peeve is when a blog has too much going on.

What’s your favorite book(s)?

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

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

[Nicole] Hmm… there are a lot of reasons why I might pick up a book. But I guess one of the first things I notice are my friend’s ratings/reviews. I guess that has the biggest influence in my decision to read it or not.

[Ashley] An intriguing summary. I am a sucker for awesome covers and friend’s rating/reviews.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

[Nicole] Nerdy. Loud. Sarcastic? (Hmm…probably not the most flattering of descriptions)

[Ashley] Determined, nerdy, crafty?   

Name a random fact about yourself.

[Nicole] I can lick my elbow! (And I bet you’re trying to lick your elbow right now =]).

[Ashley] I have a puggle named Eureka.

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

[Nicole] Hah, I wanted to be an actress because it looked like the most fun job in the world. That dream came nowhere close to fruition.

[Ashley] Yep, I changed my mind when I was little about every month, I can’t even remember all the things I wanted to be.

 White, dark, or milk chocolate? 

Nicole: White chocolate. Nom Nom.

Ashley: Dark chocolate.