I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with a fellow blogger! You may remember her. We did a post with her last week on the Jodi Picoult interview. Her name is Ana Milosavic and she is a blogger and marketing expert. Check out her answers below:
Blogger Interview
- What is your top read of 2018 so far?
There are so many good ones! Even though this wasn’t published in 2018, I read it this year. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt was fantastic! I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, but the emotions were so real and raw, that once I was finished, I couldn’t seem to stop talking about it!
The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey is a close second, that I also read this year. I have a slight obsession with anything sci-fi or dystopian, so this book very easily filled my need for sci-fi at the time.
- What is your favorite book friendship?
Without a doubt, my favorite book friendship is that of Jude, JB, Willem and Malcolm in A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It’s not often that you get to witness characters age, grow and change together, and see how that affects the dynamics of their friendships. I find that this relationship most closely matches that of real life, long-term friends, and I like a little reality in my fiction!
- Most anticipated book release of 2018?
Can I say my most anticipated book release of 2019? I’m most looking forward to The Butterfly Museum by Rene Denfeld. I’ve been waiting a while for her to release a new novel, so I’m counting down! I highly suggest reading The Enchanted, her debut novel, I promise you won’t regret it.
- How many books are in your TBR Pile?
Too many to count. I have an ongoing list on my phone that just keeps growing. I’m hoping to one day get through all of them, but every year so many amazing books get released, and my list just keeps getting longer.
Audible has been great with helping me get through some of the longer books on my list. This way, I can listen while I’m driving, doing chores, working out, and any other time that I would usually be listening to music. I don’t know what I did without it.
- Who is your favorite author?
Currently, I’m really loving Rene Denfeld. She only has two fiction novels released (with a third coming in 2019), but I really like her style. Her books always grasp me and fully immerse me in the story. She has a fresh perspective and comes from a background in law enforcement, so she’s a breath of fresh air!
And I can never say no to a Stephen King novel. The Stand was the first book of King’s that I couldn’t put down, and from there, I just can’t seem to get enough.
- How did you start blogging?
I work in marketing, so I’ve always been a writer. However, the copy that I create would be specific for each brand I worked with, and the voice I used was always the voice of the brand and not my own. The reason I started blogging was that I felt like I needed a creative outlet for my own thoughts and for my own projects, and honestly, I just wanted to write material in my own voice.
I also found that there was a void missing. I typically blog about careers, particularly career journeys. Before I started blogging, I kept looking for material, blogs or events, where others spoke up about their own journeys, but all that I was able to find were speakers who had achieved a level of greatness and were toward the end of their career. I wanted to create something for all of us in between looking for advice to get to the next step and just seeking encouragement. I guess you can say I started blogging as a necessity to myself, to find the information I was looking for, learn from it, and extend my knowledge to others.
- Where is your favorite reading spot?
I’m from Vancouver, Canada, and we’re known for our rain. My favorite reading spot is in my sofa chair, facing my window, while it pours down outside.
I always envy those that can head to a cozy coffee shop with a novel, or to the park or the beach, but I need silence when I read. Distractions pull me out of the story, and I tend to get distracted too easily in a public setting.
- How long have you been a blogger?
I’ve only recently started blogging, about a month ago, but have already had the opportunity to interview some women I truly admire! I’m looking forward to what 2019 will bring and how I will adapt with experience and knowledge gained.
- What do you like about reading?
I’m always on the go, and I find that sitting down and watching a movie never gave me the relaxation and pleasure that it does for others. Reading lets me completely enter a new world using my own imagination, and helps me get away from the stresses that can occur in daily life.
I like reading because each book is such a different and unique experience for everyone and encourages the reader to use their creativity to fill in blanks or highlight specific parts. Depending on what you’re going through in life, I find that each story is adapted by the reader to suit their specific needs at that specific moment.
- If you had to describe yourself in a book title, what would it be?
The Girl Who Doesn’t Stop Moving! I’ve noticed recently that I’m not calm unless I have multiple projects going on. I enjoy a full plate, and lots to be going on in my life, otherwise, I feel like I’m missing out. I like to say it’s because I have too many ideas and don’t want to sit on them, but it could also be that I’m a bit of a workaholic. I’ve dedicated 2019 as the year I learn to relax and learn how to take breaks, so hopefully, when you ask me this same question at the end of 2019 my answer will be, The Girl Who Learned to Relax!
That wraps up our interview with Ana! You can find her on Instagram!
Stay tuned this week for more book reviews coming your way and make sure to leave a comment below if you would like to participate in an interview with us and be highlighted on our blog!
She sounds like a fascinating person (says the other person who loves Vancouver, reading by the window during a rain, has a continually accumulating reading list, and has too many projects on the go). I just checked Rene Denfeld’s first book, The Enchanted, and now that book will go on my to-be-read list. Chances are good her other books will also be added. Thanks for the recommendation!
Aaannndddddd, I see I already have the Rene Denfeld’s e-book The Child Finder loaded onto my Kindle in the line-up to be read. I knew the name sounded familiar so I checked. I’ll read The Enchanted first, then The Child Finder. Good to hear a great recommendation from another reader about this author.
Yea she is really cool. I enjoyed talking with her and doing this collaboration.