Color me excited when I found out that was lucky enough to be partnering up with Rebecca of Book Lady’s Blog fame to do a BBAW interview. I’ve long subscribed to her blog and find her reviews and commentary among the best in the blogosphere. I won’t even get into the fact that we are both Virginia girls, both love our lazy Sunday’s on the couch and above all love dogs.
You can thank Rebecca though, because I was all for doing the entire interview about said four-legged furry friends. It was she who convinced me that perhaps that wouldn’t be the wisest decision. Luckily what follows here is lighter on the pooch than on the books.
So without further ado here is all the news that’s fit to print straight from the lovely Booklady’s mouth. Oh and if you want to see the other half of our conversation and piece it all together check out what I had to say at The Book Lady’s Blog.
Michelle: How are things down Richmond way?
Rebecca: Things are good….finally some not-quite-hot-as-hell weather. I’m snuggled here on the couch with the hubs and the pooch (who is occupied by a far less intellectually stimulating rawhide bone.)
Rebecca: You’re in the DCish area, yes?
Michelle: I am, I’m in Springfield about 15 minutes outside the city. The pooch has the right idea evening couch time is all about the lack of intellectual stimulation.
Rebecca: Definitely. She’s a smart puppy. Well, as smart as a basset hound can be.
Michelle: Hey now bassets can be pretty keen 
Rebecca: Wouldn’t go that far…but she makes up for it in cuteness. So, bookish talk?
Michelle: Bookish talk (and I’ll preface this by saying I stink at the whole making up questions thing)
Rebecca: Oh, thank god. Me too!
Michelle: HA, think people would hate us if we talked dogs? Because right now I’m thinking it might be better than what are your five favorite books of all time.
Rebecca: There’d probably be a whole lot of “Well, I thought Rebecca and Michelle were pretty cool until that whole weird BBAW interview thing.”
Michelle: “What were they thinking when they spent an hour talking about bassets and cocker spaniels? How does that relate to BBAW?”
Michelle: Alrighty so bookish talk…. I’ll throw out a question
Rebecca: Hit me
Michelle: It’s no secret that you work as a bookseller, in that role have you ever just completely lost it with a customer?
Rebecca: Not completely. But I have stormed off the floor and spewed forth a string of sailor-esque cursing once safely inside the breakroom. I’m all for free expression and political activism, but I do not appreciate having an extremely conservative customer tell me that I must have some kind of mental disorder for not agreeing with him.
Rebecca: Oh! Just remembered a customer I did freak out on. I think I featured it on Adventures in Bookselling. This woman was convinced she needed a book called Dear Theo and Phyllis, something about philosophy. I found Dear Theophilus (ding ding ding) and had to spend half an hour convincing her that I was right and her title didn’t exist. Maddening!
Michelle: Did she finally buy it? Or did she huff out of the store calling you incompetent?
Rebecca: She finally bought it. But only after I pointed out that 1)She wanted it for a Christmas present 2) Christmas was 4 days away and 3) I WAS RIGHT, DAMN IT!
Michelle: You seem to prefer lit fic how do you like working with schools where their population might be less inclined to enjoy those works?
Rebecca: Well, I work mostly with librarians, and our tastes are often very similar. I get some of my best recommendations from my clients. And I try to branch out and read YA so I will be able to relate to what they’re reading. It’s a nice balance.
Michelle: Now I’m really jealous! I’d love that. Do you have a library degree?
Rebecca: Nope. I majored in psychology, minored in English, then got master’s in clinical psych before I figured out I didn’t want to be a therapist.
Michelle: What qualities do you look for in a book? Regardless of genre.
Rebecca: For me, the quality of the writing is huge. I look for strong, creative use of language, solid construction, good pace. Plot and story are very important, of course, but writing & characterization are bigger for me. I’ll take a well-written, character-driven novel over a pageturner just about any day.
Michelle: Given that, who is your favorite literary character? Would you want to see that character written in further works?
Rebecca: What an impossible question! I love love love Owen Meany. I also loved Lucy Lynch in Russo’s Bridge of Sighs. And Little Bee is a recent favorite. I don’t think I’d want to see Owen in further works, but it might be nice for Russo to revisit Lynch.
Michelle: If you were a writer which character would you like to write for and what story would you give him/her?
Rebecca: This is the part where I reveal that when it comes to creating fiction, I have absolutely zero skill.
Michelle: So if you could go back and start college from scratch would you choose a more literary path?
Rebecca: Yes. I would major in English and pursue an advanced degree. But I’m happy with this path, too, because it led me to falling backwards into a pretty great gig.
Michelle: What spurned you into blogging?
Rebecca: I joined LibraryThing last June and found a bunch of blogs that way.
Michelle: You’re a constant presence on Twitter, how do you think social media has affected the way you blog?
Rebecca: Oh, I come and go on Twitter. Social media has affected the way I connect with readers, publishers, and authors and how I market my blog. But I don’t think it’s really changed how I blog or what I blog about. And I was resistant to it for a loooong time.
Michelle: Why resistant?
Rebecca: I didn’t (and still don’t) like the idea of being constantly connected. Before we had wireless in our house, I had to go upstairs to the office to be online and didn’t want to sacrifice home life time just to tweet. But then we got wireless and I pretty much jumped right on the bandwagon. It’s not uncommon for me to take several days or a week off, though.
Michelle: So if you weren’t in a bookish career what would you like to be doing instead?
Rebecca: To answer your question, I can’t really imagine not being in a bookish career….but if I hadn’t had the guts to leave my graduate program, there was a very real chance I’d have been a psychologist. So I can’t really imagine not being in a bookish career (see how I brought that back around?). But I did almost become a psychologist, so there is that, I suppose. Maybe something in PR/Marketing.
Michelle: OH that’s fabulous! Ok, use your best PR/Marketing voice and convince our readers to pick up your favorite book. What would you say to get someone who isn’t into that genre to get them excited for that book?
Rebecca: Hmmm….my best handselling technique recently has been with The Help. “It’s Jackson, Mississippi 1962, and the civil rights movement is really starting to gain speed. A young white woman, a bit of a Southern aristocrat, is home from college and no longer comfortable with how her wealthy white friends treat the black women who work as THE HELP in their homes. She helps them tell their stories about what it’s really like to work for these women. At turns heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, this book has strong characterization, three unique narrative voices, a social message, and a really great story.” And it’s one of the best books I’ve read all year.
Michelle: What is one genre of fiction that you haven’t been able to get into?
Rebecca: That’s an easy one. Romance. I don’t mind if there’s a romance written into the story I’m reading, but I prefer for it not to be a huge focus, and I can’t imagine reading something where the romance is the whole focus. It takes a whole lot to offend me, so it’s not that the sex scenes are a problem (though I’ve heard of some weird ones)….I just like a story with more meat (which could totally be a dirty joke).
Michelle: HA *insert phallic reference here*
Michelle: What in blogging don’t you want to touch with a ten foot pole? And on the flip side what would you really like to include in your blog that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to?
Rebecca: I’m not touching religion. It’s just not worth it. And I try to keep politics out of it, but it was difficult at times during the election last year, and my political views definitely come through in some of my reading selections, but I try not to be preachy or judgmental.
Michelle: What’s the best part of your BBAW experience so far?
Rebecca: Being part of the planning committee really gave it additional weight. For me, the best part (besides the overwhelming love I received today and this delightful quality time with you) has been reflecting on how the community has grown since this time last year and realizing what amazing potential we have to promote the love of reading.
Michelle: That is amazing isn’t it? Long Live BBAW!
Rebecca: I’ll drink to that!
So what do you think y’all? I think this interview rates as two paws up!
WOOF!!
What is it with BBAW and the limiting of my wordiness?
Yea, like *that* is gonna happen.
lt literature. How could I have ever thought that I wasn’t the target audience for a well written book?
Man, oh man is today’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week post right up my ally. Well sorta kinda. I like lists….no, wait, I *adore* lists! I like everything about them — they let me set goals, they help keep me organized, and I like that they make me feel accomplished when I mark those items off.
