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.
[Janhvi] (On left in the picture) Hey, I’m Janhvi. I’m 20 and a student from India. I love reading and discovering new books which eventually led me into blogging with my best friend, Sarika. I always love to read about happy endings. I love romance. I love chocolates and ice cream. I enjoy watching movies and can be occasionally found day dreaming.
[Sarika] (On right in the picture) Hi, I’m Sarika, a 20 year old student from India. I am a proud Potterhead. I breathe Harry Potter. Aside from that, I have completed my Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Politics and I plan to do my Masters in French. Reading and blogging are my passions. I love drawing, food and music by Boys Like Girls. Fashion and sports interest me and people in general fascinate me.
How long have you been blogging? What made you want to start a book blog?
[Janhvi] I had been a blog reader for a long time before I actually got the guts to start blogging with Sarika. It actually came up pretty randomly and we decided to go for it. It’s been around 8 months since we started blogging and we’re having loads of fun.
[Sarika] Janhvi, my best friend and co-blogger, introduced me to the magnificent world of book blogging a few years back. Over coffee one day, I just told her about how it’d be cool to have a book blog of our own. I tried making one all by myself and failed miserably. She, as always, came to my rescue and we gave serious thought to it and finally started The Readdicts in August 2012 and have been blogging ever since.
What do you do when you’re not blogging or reading?
[Janhvi] I don’t do much other than reading. Lol. But I love watching movies, going out and catching up with my favorite shows on TV.
[Sarika] I dream, imagine and over think and do some random stuff. It’s a boring life.
What is your favorite part about blogging? Least favorite?
[Janhvi] Favorite part about blogging is definitely the book blogging community. It is amazing to find people who share the same love for books. Makes me feel less weird when they get when I’m talking as though a fictional character is real. I also love finding new books which surprise me.
Least favorite part about blogging would probably be the troubles that Blogger gives sometimes. When I see some really good blogger has lost his or her own blog for no rhyme or reason, it scares me.
[Sarika] My most favourite part about book blogging is interacting with our fellow bloggers. It’s really amusing and terrific meeting so many people from all over the world and sharing the common love for books and reading. And I love authors. A single mail or tweet from them makes my day.
I am a Virgo and if it’s not right, it’s not fine, so my least favourite part would have to be making Blogger’s post drafting and previewing and publishing work in tune.
Where did you come up with the name for your blog?
[Janhvi] All the credit here goes to Sarika. She was the one who came up with it. We were just mixing random words and basically we wanted something nice and easy and we got The Readdicts.
[Sarika] We were just jotting down possible names for our blog and trying to put two and two together which was just a matter of straining our brains a bit. We came up with read addicts but seeing the commonality and unavailability of it, we chose Readdicts, which means the same- reading is our drug and we’re addicted.
Do you have any specific book bloggers that inspire you?
[Janhvi] A ton of bloggers inspire me probably without them even realizing it. Sarika has mentioned all our blogger friends below but a few bloggers whom I love and admire and whom I aspire to be like are Joy @ Joyous Reads, Rachel @ Fikshun, Giselle @ Xpresso Reads. I think they have great blogs and I hope we achieve that someday.
[Sarika] Honestly, every blog I see inspires me, be it the layout, the style in which the owner writes his/ her reviews or the blog in general. In the 10 months that we’ve been blogging, I’ve made a few great friends whose blogs both Janhvi and I admire and stalk (like, Aman @ Enticed By Books, Aylee @ Recovering PotterAddict and Tanja @ Ja Çitam, A Ti?).
Closer home, all the established Indian book bloggers are truly an inspiration and I hope that someday, we reach the same calibre as them.
What do you look for in a blog when following? What are your pet peeves?
[Janhvi] I usually look for similar tastes in books. But sometimes I like to follow a blogger who reads something I don’t usually read just so I can give it a try if it’s really good. There is no clear definition of whom I follow.
[Sarika] I don’t really look for anything. So long as it’s a book blog, I’m okay with following them. However, recently, Janhvi has been giving me blogging lessons and I’m slowly learning. I don’t really have any pet peeves.
What’s your favorite book(s)?
[Janhvi] This list can go on endlessly. I love Lords Of The Underworld series by Gena Showalter, The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay and any and all of Abbi Glines’ books.
[Sarika] Harry Potter series (particularly Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince) by J. K. Rowling, all of Khaled Hosseini’s books, Beautiful series by Jamie McGuire, Stephen Chobosky’s The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (to name a few).
Favorite author?
[Janhvi] Again, I have a long list but if I had to pick one it would be Gena Showalter.
[Sarika] J. K. Rowling (Always!)
What is the biggest turn off for you when you’re reading a book?
[Janhvi] I hate reading about whiny or judgemental characters. That is a total turn off for me. Characters acting stupid and reacting without thought irritate me. I hate reading about cheating. So, uh, yeah I have quite a long list of turn offs.
[Sarika] I’m not one to judge but it really surprises me when I find editorial/grammatical errors in books published by big houses; and lengthy and unnecessary descriptions make me drift off.
What first draws you to a book to make you want to read it?
[Janhvi] The summary and the cover usually pull me in. I love a forbidden romance so if a book has that I will totally read it.
[Sarika] The title and the cover! I don’t normally like to read summaries so that’s all I go by. I’m up to read a bit of anything and everything.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
[Janhvi] Shy, sweet, sensible (I hope).
[Sarika] Human, Potterhead, psycho.
Name a random fact about yourself.
[Janhvi] I don’t share ice cream.
[Sarika] I don’t tell unless asked.
Do you have a job? If so, what do you do?
[Janhvi] No, I don’t have a job.
[Sarika] Nope, no job for me.
What did you want to be when you were little? Has that changed?
[Janhvi] I wanted to be an architect or a designer of some sort when I was little but that has certainly changed now. I just hope I end up where I’m supposed to be.
[Sarika] I’ve always wanted to teach and hope to do so at some point in my life.
Randomness
Cats or dogs?
Janhvi: Please don’t kill me yet but I’m not a fan of animals, so none.
Sarika: Dogs! I don’t remember a time without a pet dog at home.
Favorite animal?
Janhvi: I can feel the death glares, but it’s still none for me.
Sarika: Elephants.
White, dark, or milk chocolate?
Janhvi: Dark.
Sarika: White.
Coke or Pepsi?
Janhvi: Coke.
Sarika: Pepsi.
Favorite TV show?
Janhvi: Castle, Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls, The Vampire Diaries.
Sarika: I’m not very fond of the TV, but I like watching Masterchef Australia and The Big Bang Theory.
Movie?
Janhvi: The Proposal, Ocean’s Eleven, The Bourne Ultimatum and Bollywood movies I would go for Wake Up Sid, Cocktail, English Vinglish.
Sarika: Harry Potter movies (particularly Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and a couple of Bollywood movies (Bluffmaster!, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dil Chahta Hai).
Color?
Janhvi: Blue all the way.
Sarika: All? No? Okay. Grey.
Thanks for being here today, ladies! It was great getting to know you! :)
Find Janhvi:
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest
Find Sarika:
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr
Thank you so much for the wonderful post and for spotlighting us today, Jessi! It means a lot to have a spot on your blog. <3
Happy reading and happy blogging!
Sarika @ The Readdicts
Hi you guys! I’ll confess I haven’t heard of your blog! But you guys sound like totally awesome peeps that I’m gonna have to check out your blog! :D
It must be so cool to blog with one of your best friends because it’s like a bonding experience only so much cooler because it’s on the internet and you’re talking all bookish things! I can’t believe you don’t like animals, though, Janhvi! I mean, I get why, but I couldn’t live without cooing over all the random animals I see on an everyday basis :D
Fantastic interview, you guys!