Undersea Spotlight: Lola at Reading by Lamplight

Posted by Jessi (Geo) on January 1, 2013 | 0 Comments

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.

Meet Lola!

My name is Lola online (Holly in real life). I am a twenty-something girl who lives in Michigan. I love reading, blogging, cooking, and am totally obsessed with nail polish! I enjoy reading and reviewing books.

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

Wow…since 2008. I was in my final year of college, on my way home from spring break. I had polished off a few books during my week off, and I remember thinking…I wish I had a way to keep track of the books I read. Thus the idea of a book blog was born. It started out on live journal with a small following (mostly friends). An online friend, who followed by book blog, recommended switching over to blogger. I was so surprised to find a whole community of book bloggers! I was in bookish heaven! Sadly, this past year, due to personal reasons, I had switch my entire blog over to a new site. I love the new look, but lost a good number of followers. I hope to get the new blog up the where the old blog left off!

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

Working mostly. I work as a nurse at a local hospital. When I’m not working, I’m usually reading. If I’m not reading, I’m cooking, creating a new nail polish design, or doing homework. I am currently finishing up my BSN.

What is your favorite part about blogging? Least favorite?

My favorite part of blogging is interacting with other bloggers! I love hearing their comments, reading their reviews, as well as conversing with them through twitter!

My least favorite is getting through a rough book, and then writing a review on it. Sometimes, this proceeds to a reading slump, which can get me pretty down in the dumps.

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

My new name Reading by Lamplight was a group effort. It stems from the design. When I started working with the designer (Rachel from Parajunkee Design), I knew I wanted a lantern theme. We brainstormed some fitting names for the design. I then took those names to my personal blog and posted a survey. The winning name was Reading by Lamplight.

Do you have any specific book bloggers that inspire you?

Oh heck yes! If I follow a blog on a regular basis, it is listed on my blog roll.
Otherwise, here some bloggers who inspire me:

Shara from Calico Reaction
Nancy from Temporary Worlds
Juju from Tales of Whimsy
Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner
Tine from Tina’s Books Reviews
Rachel from Fiktshun. I particularly like her blog The Annex.

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

I like sites that mostly center around book reviews. I will often stop following blogs when there is more memes than reviews. Don’t get me wrong, I like memes. I am particularly fond of Top Ten Tuesdays hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. However, I am mainly looking for book reviews when I follow a blog. I also factor in compatibility. For instance, does the blogger read similar books? Sometimes, I will follow someone who reads completely different books in effort to expand my reading horizons.

What’s your favorite book(s)?

I don’t think I could offer titles. I do however, like the following genres: YA, speculative fiction, science fiction, paranormal romance, and historical fiction.

Favorite author?

I don’t think I could answer this either.

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

Content and dialog. If there is a lack of either, I usually set the book down.

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

1. If I have read and enjoyed previous books from the same author.
2. I am a sucker for a pretty cover.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Ambitious, friendly, and spontaneous.

Name a random fact about yourself.

I’ve worn glasses since I was 12 years old.

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

As stated previously, I work as a nurse full-time. Does full-time student count as well?

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

Rock star. I learned to play the guitar and the drums a little, but haven’t played either in several years. I gave into practicality when choosing a career. :P